Haunted Twilight
by TwilightxRose
Summary: Burdened with distraught for his love, the Hero of Hyrule and Twilight becomes restless as haunting visions consume his thoughts. However, it is not just him that these dreams affect. Will Link ever find a way back to the one he loves? Ch 8 is up!
1. prologue

Prologue

The sun had just begun to set. Long shadows were cast throughout the empty quiet field as if they were waiting for darkness so they could run free. The day was almost over, the day that had ended everything. A lone mare and her owner slowly walked in the direction of Ordon Village. Hyrule Field was completely lifeless. Every race was at Hyrule Market celebrating the defeat of the evil lord. Peace had finally been restored to the vast land of Hyrule.

It may have been a celebration to everyone else, but it was a tragic loss to the one who had saved them all.

The rust colored horse neighed and shook her head signaling that she wanted to take a break. The hero smiled as he led her to a tree. He sat down and leaned up against the lone tree. The horse nudged him softly saying that it wanted to graze somewhere else.

"Go on Epona, just don't wander off too far." Epona looked blankly at her master for a moment, then galloped away.

The young man's clothes shimmered in the sun. He furrowed his eyebrows as he got a closer look. Realizing that it was shattered glass, he brushed it off and exhaled deeply. She hadn't even been gone for a day and already she was constantly in his mind. He tried to shake his thoughts away. It was getting late, and Ilia was expecting him. He didn't want to worry her anymore than he already had. A sigh escaped from his lips as he stood up. He brushed himself off as he pulled out Epona's whistle.

"Link."

He froze. That voice. It couldn't be. He had constantly repeated her last words in his mind. Perhaps he was just hearing things again. His mind always played tricks on him.

"Wepes." a voice passionately whispered.

His eyes widened. It was his _name_ in that haunting language of Twilight. He held his breath as he turned around.

A beautiful young woman clothed in Twilight garments was standing before him. Her scarlet eyes flickered softly as they gazed deeply into his. Her flame colored hair sparkled like fire in the setting sun. Her pale skin contrasted the orange sky perfectly. She smiled and glided gracefully towards Link. Link opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"What, is my beauty still overwhelming you?" she asked.

"Mi…Midna. How…" Link tried to begin.

"Sh-h-h, it only matters that I'm here."

She kissed him passionately and softly. A million thoughts were running through Link's head. How was it possible? She shattered the mirror and disappeared forever. This was impossible, this couldn't be happening, but it was. He melted back into reality as he parted her lips open with his tongue to explore her mouth. His strong hands moved from her shoulders down to her slim waist. She gently pushed him against the tree as she kissed him harder. She broke away from him briefly and stared intensely in his eyes as she unbuttoned the top buttons of his tunic. She leaned over to Link as he touched her upper thigh and felt her silky soft skin. He slid his fingers through her sun-kissed hair as their lips touched again. Her lips were so soft, just like a delicate flower petal.

"I love you Link. I couldn't bring myself to say it in the Mirror Chamber, but I had to tell you."

"I love you too, so much more than you'll ever know. I'm so happy you came back." Link whispered softly as he gently wiped the single tear that was shed from his love's face.

She smiled as Link gently kissed her again. She took his hand in her delicate fingers and gently pulled him down on the feathery grass. His strong hand slipped up her lowcut top. Midna's glimmering eyes widened and she took her finger and slowly cut his upper tunic and undershirt in a fine line with her long sharp nail. His ripped tunic slowly slid off his shoulders. She could see his powerful muscles as she reached up to explore her new territory. Despite the paleness of her skin, her hand was quite warm, but it still sent an icy sensation on his skin. He loved the feeling of her soft fingers trailing up and down on his body. Midna had a grin of satisfaction when she saw him shiver at her slightest touch.

Link lowered his lips down to her neck. The faint smell of her skin made him want more. He could feel the blood flowing in her veins. Link paused for a moment as he let his eyes trace over every ample curve of her body. Midna smiled and looked up expectantly. He bit into her neck sending a pleasurable shock throughout Midna's body. Her fiery eyes melted into a world of absolute bliss. One hand gently gripped his hair as her other hand stroked his built physique continuously in fluid motions. His teeth clenched in her neck forming bite marks as she dug her nails into his skin indicating that she wanted much more. He lowered his head and caressed her skin with his tongue. She moaned softly as he kissed in between her breasts. Their skin glistened with sweat as they sank into a world of pure rapture.

Link then jolted his eyes open. He opened his mouth to say something, but blood spurted out instead. Agonizing pain overwhelmed his body as he looked down to find the source of this unexpected torment. Tears streamed from his eyes when he saw the cause of the pain. He tried to speak again but he coughed up more blood. Midna opened her eyes and felt blood drops sprinkle on her neck and chest. Her eyes lowered as a silver blade slid back into her wrist. A malicious grin spread on her face as she pushed Link off of her body and stood up.

"Midna… why…" Link hoarsely whispered.

Midna straightened her clothes as Link gasped for breath on the ground. Blood seeped from the fatal wound on his stomach staining everything it touched crimson. Her pearly white fang showed as she smiled again.

"Because, the sight of your blood excites me."

She licked the blood dripping off of her wrist. She bent down to Link and stroked his face. "Link, my love, I want more," she whispered seductively in his ear. His eyes widened as a blade from each wrist appeared in front of his eyes. Midna had a bloodthirsty look in her eyes as she slit his throat just enough to draw a little blood. Link couldn't move. Something was holding him down. "Your futile attempt of escaping arouses me, darling." She licked the blood off her blade. "Now my love… Die!" She lunged at his throat as Link gasped his last breath.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Link jolted up out of bed. His hand touched his stomach and neck. He let out a sigh of relief. It was just a dream. He staggered out of bed and walked toward the bathroom to wash his face. He was drenched in sweat. He pulled off his night shirt and threw it across the room. It was those dreams again. He had had those haunting nightmares for over a year now. But the dreams before had never been so erotic. He turned on the sink and splashed his face with cold water a few times. His eyes looked up in the mirror. A pale face was staring back at him. He gave himself a mental shake and stumbled back towards his bed.

He laid back down on his bed and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Not after that dream anyway. Moonlight seeped through a window and reflected off of his skin casting off a pale blue look, just like Midna's skin. His thoughts lingered at the most passionate parts of the dream. He could feel his face flush at the very thought of it. He could still feel the trailing kisses, her soft lips, and the imprints of her gentle hands on his skin. But then, those cold eyes, that vicious look of intent to kill.

He wondered if these dreams meant anything. He reached across his bed and took something from the top of his dresser. It glinted like a diamond as the pale moonlight made contact with it. It was a shard from the mirror that was shattered so long ago. A memory that was still so vivid in his mind.

He could still feel the way his heart dropped when he heard the mirror crack. As she said those final words, _"Link, I… I'll see you again"_, an interlocking vow was exchanged. Her eyes clearly showed that she meant what she said. Then she disintegrated into the mirror right before it exploded into countless pieces. Link fell to his knees in shock when she disappeared. He disregarded the sharp pieces of glass digging into his knees as he stared blankly in front of him. Zelda put a hand on his shoulder and apologized. He ignored her sympathy as he grabbed the biggest sliver of glass and slipped it in his pocket. He got up, brushed the fragments of glass from his legs and started to walk away.

"Link, wait." Zelda hesitated.

He stopped. "Princess, we've done all that we could, and we've won. One should not be sad on a victorious day. I'm going to be okay." Link turned around and looked at her with his grief stricken blue eyes. "Good-bye Princess."

Princess Zelda looked hurt as her eyes fell to the ground. She regained composure and glanced back at him. Her face seemed as if she wanted to comfort and reassure him, but he did not care. Realization of what had just happened did not hit him until he started to walk towards his village where his people awaited him. The love of his life was gone.

Link snapped back into reality when he heard a loud thud. He peered out of the window and saw a large irregular shadow of some sort. Link grabbed his sword and slipped quietly outside. The shadow quickly noticed him and walked closer. Link gripped tightly on his sword's handle as he held his breath. Were those shadow creatures back? No one had seen them since the shattering of the mirror, but Link never let his guard down. Everyone constantly told him things were finally peaceful in the world of Hyrule, but a hero never had a day off. No, he wasn't a hero anymore. Not in his eyes. He was just a simple Ordonian boy who led a basic life herding goats. He no longer went on vast, dangerous journeys like before. The shadow walked closer and Link realized what it was.

"Epona, don't sneak around like that!" he whispered harshly. Epona just stared at him with her glassy eyes and let out a whine. "It's okay, girl," Link chuckled. "You couldn't sleep either? Well let's go down to Ordon's Spring to refresh ourselves. How does that sound?" Epona just nodded her head in agreement. Link patted her mane as he led his faithful companion deep into the woods.

During the year spent with Midna, Link developed a strong sensitivity to supernatural forces. As he and Epona neared the spring, Link felt the growing, tranquil presence it emitted bathe his body with each step he took. Once they reached the spring, Epona stepped in the cool water. Link could see the pink glowing orbs fluttering in an intricate dance. He could make out their tiny naked bodies twirling in the air as he got closer. The fairies spotted him quickly and flew towards him. One sat on Link's head and started to yawn. The other fairies just flew around him happily. They whispered amongst themselves.

"Have you come here to heal your wounds, Hero chosen by the Gods?" said the fairy on top of his head.

"I'm not sure if you can heal this kind of wound."

The fairy then flew in front of his face and Link put his hand in the air. She beamed and slowly floated down to his palm. It was like she weighed nothing—like a feather waiting to be whisked away by the wind. She stretched her little arms and looked up.

"What would you like to do then, Hero?"

"To see the Great Fairy." he said.

A small smile appeared on the fairy's face. She glanced at the back of the spring telling Link to go ahead. He could hear the fairies' giggling as he walked past them. As soon as he stepped in front of the sparkling dust, he was back in the Cave of Ordeals.

He saw a beautiful fairy sitting in a pool of water. She saw Link and stood up. Her wings were like a blossomed flower, shimmering with a celestial essence. Her skin glowed with a dim light, casting an angelic presence. Silky hair fell from her shoulders and covered her bare chest. She wore a satin cloth around her waist wrapped into a loose skirt. She was very pretty, almost in a forbidden way. Her emerald green eyes had a sad look to them, like something devastating had happened to her in the past. She took a step closer towards Link.

"Welcome, Hero chosen by the Goddesses. How may I assist you?"

"I just need a bottle of fairy's tears."

"Oh? I haven't seen you in quite a while, young hero. I thought your quest was over. Are you planning on going on another journey?"

"You could say something like that."

The Great Fairy walked up to Link. She touched his forehead with her two fingers and closed her eyes. She breathed deeply as her fingers brushed down to his lips.

"You have been through much pain. I can feel your energy swirling in aggressive torrents. Such sad emotions, such heartache. You have lost someone."

"Yes…" Link hesitantly said. His eyes looked at the ground.

"Do not be in anguish, young hero," she cupped his cheek with her palm. "Light and Shadow cannot mix, but they need each other to survive."

His ears perked to what she said. How did she know? She wasn't present when Midna went back into the Twilight, so what was she talking about?

"I can hear your heart racing. You must care for this person deeply," she said as she took one of Link's bottles and held it below her cheek. She began crying without a sound. Purple liquid flowed from her unblinking eyes into the mouth of the bottle. The tears slowly filled up the bottle while Link watched silently. When she finished, she closed it tightly. "Please receive the blessings of the fairies. This sacred water contains the fairies' prayers. This will heal most of the fatal wounds that you get. But heed my warning, if you go on this voyage, it will be perilous."

Link took the bottle and thanked her. He started to turn back.

"Oh, one more thing, young hero."

A single, clear tear fell from the Great Fairy's eye. When it hit the air, it stopped and crystallized. As it hovered in the air, it painfully reminded him of Midna. The Great Fairy then positioned her hands above and below the solidified tear while it floated directly between. Link watched with curiosity as the teardrop morphed into a translucent triforce. He gaped as he saw her tear a strand off of her wing in order to make a thread for the newly formed pendant. Knowing that a fairy's wings are the most fragile and sensitive part of their body, he was surprised that she did not flinch. After threading the charm, she put it around his neck.

"This necklace contains special elements that will activate once you destroy it. Remember my words. Only the true hero chosen by the gods can destroy this. Use this only when you are in absolute peril." She cupped his cheek with her palm again. "May the Goddesses give you strength, courage, and wisdom on this journey. If you are ever in need of me again, come to this place."

Before he knew it, Link was back at Ordon Spring. He started to head towards Epona as he tucked the bottle of fairy's tears in his pocket. His hand clutched the mystical pendant around his neck as his thoughts drifted off once again. The fairies twirled around in the air and waved goodbye.

An eerie feeling tingled down his spine. Something was there watching him. A cold hand grabbed his shoulder. Immediately Link turned around and knocked the body that was behind him to the ground. The body fell and landed in the water on its back. He quickly drew his sword and swung at its face. The blade stopped right between its eyes. Link had a savage look on his face. He was ready to kill. Two blue eyes looked at the point of the sword, trembling. It hesitantly muttered a word. He arched an eyebrow and withdrew his sword.

"What are you doing here?" Link asked. He reached out his hand and the person gladly accepted the offer.

"I wondered where you were going in the middle of the night. How did you disappear like that when you stood near the waterfall?" she asked.

"It's none of your business Ilia."

A look of hurt washed over her face. Right away Link regretted that he let those words slip out of his mouth. His hand ran through his hair.

"I'm sorry Ilia; I've just had a rough night. I didn't know who you were and I'm just jumpy about everything. I didn't expect that you were the one who was following me. Why were you following me?"

"Well, I woke up in the middle of the night as well, and I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd make sure Epona was okay, but when I arrived at your house, you were riding on her towards the bridge. I wanted to make sure you weren't leaving."

He sighed. Before he opened his mouth to say something, a fairy flew over to him and touched his chest. It was the same fairy who had sat on his head earlier. She kissed where his heart was and then fluttered to his face and caressed his cheek.

"I hope your wound heals, Hero." She smiled and then flew off to her fairy friends.

Ilia furrowed her eyebrows. "What was that about?"

"I don't know. Some fairy thing I guess. Don't worry about it." Link took Epona's reign and started to lead her out of the spring.

"Let's start heading home. Your father would kill me if something happened to you or if he caught you out this late."

"Yeah, especially since I'm in this night gown and you don't have a shirt on." she smirked.

He had forgotten to put on a shirt before he left his house. Link felt his ears redden. "I just got distracted before I left my house is all."

Ilia just laughed. "Whatever you say."

Link walked her back to her house and started to walk away.

"Link, wait," He turned around as Ilia walked up to him. "Link, you know that you can tell me anything. I'm always here for you. No matter what."

Link looked down and took a deep breath. He was exhausted and just wanted to go back to his house. He held a placid smile. "I know. You're always going to be here for me, even when others are not. Thank you."

All of a sudden, her lips met his. She pulled back quickly when she felt him jerk back slightly.

"I… I thought…" Hurt and panic washed over Ilia's face.

Link sighed to himself. "Ilia, you're a wonderful girl, but I like you as a friend. I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I just thought… Actually, I don't know what I was thinking. I understand though. I'll be waiting for you, Link." A single tear stained her face. "Goodnight, Link."

"Goodnight."

Link walked up to his house and climbed onto his bed. "What a stressful night," he muttered under his breath. He looked at his room strangely, something wasn't right. He realized that it was darker in his room than before when he had first woken up. He stared out his window oddly. The moon was no longer there. It had just vanished! Something was up, and he didn't like the feeling of it. He dismissed it after realizing how drowsy he was. He clutched the necklace around his neck and drifted off to sleep.

Authors Note::

If you ever stood still in a spring in twilight princess, a random fairy actually flew to Link and rested on his head. I thought that was a really cute detail in the game, so I decided to add it to my story. J

Oh. And another thing. Reviews keep me writing. If my story doesn't get reviewed often, I'll stop posting it on this site. I only write for the pleasure of others and myself, and if others don't read it, why should I post this? Please review my story. I enjoy comments and constructive criticism.

I do not own any of these characters. However, this story and its contents belong strictly to me.


	3. Chapter 2

authors note:: okay. I was really, really tired when I wrote this chapter so please bear with my grammatical mistakes. Okay? And thank you so very much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. Please review this chapter as well.

Chapter 2

It was a brand new morning, the sun crept slowly up in the cloudless sky. It was going to be a beautiful day. Ilia rose out of her bed and stretched. She smiled at the thought of a new day. She debated on what she should do first on this day. She could fish, go up to Hyrule Market provided her father would allow it, or go spend time with Link. Her thoughts stopped abruptly when she thought about Link. She had completely forgotten the incident that happened last night. A sick, nauseated feeling suppressed her. What was she going to say to him today? Her hands covered her face as she threw herself back on her bed. She grabbed a pillow and put it over her face.

"What should I do?" she muffled under her pillow.

"How about getting your butt out of bed?" A rough voice asked.

Ilia nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Link! What are you doing here?" she said while sitting up straight on her bed.

"I came to apologize about last night. I was thinking a lot last night, and I realized that you are the only girl for me."

Before she could say anything, Link kissed her hard. A look of confusion swept over her face, but she soon dissolved into his fierce kiss. She was pleasantly surprised, but shocked as well. She had never known Link to be so aggressive with things like this. He seemed like he would be a calm and collected person. A very honorably man that kept his morals. She wasn't complaining though.

Their tongues swirled together and hands ran through hair. As the kisses intensified, Link gently pushed Ilia down on the bed. Her heart raced. It felt like it was going to pound right out of her chest. Ilia closed her eyes. She had waited for this moment ever since she first laid her eyes on Link. She was ready. He was ready. The time was here. They had known each other for so long. The thing she most desired for.

"I'm ready Link…" she whispered softly.

"Ilia, snap out of it!"

"What?" she opened her eyes. Her father looked at her worriedly.

"You called me link when I told you to get your butt out of bed."

_"Was it just an illusion?"_ Ilia thought as she rubbed her temples in distress.

"You alright dear?" Her father asked with concern.

She was quiet for a minute. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need some fresh air."

"Okay dear, you be careful out there. Let me know if you need anything." He walked out of her room and shut the door.

"Damn it." she breathed. "I can't believe it was just a daydream."

She got up and quickly washed up and dressed herself. She ran downstairs and head out the door.

"You aren't going to eat any breakfast Ilia"?

"No thank you father, I'm not hungry."

"And I went through all of this hard work for nothing," he grumbled. "I suppose I better get started on my paperwork then."

Ilia paid no attention and walked right out the door. Something wasn't right. Ever since Link came back to his village a year ago, he hasn't been himself. He never talked anymore, never spent time with the villagers and the kids, and he neglected taking care of his property. He and Ilia were so close before the war came upon them. The villagers worried at first, but soon forgot about it when this continued on for a long time. Talo was disappointed when Link didn't teach him any new fighting skills when he returned home. And Collin nearly burst with anxiety when his idol never spent time outside anymore. Collin asked Ilia countless times if Link was alright and what was wrong with him. Of course, she didn't know either.

She arrived at Link's house shortly. She climbed the ladder up to the door and knocked. No response. Somehow she wasn't surprised. He either wasn't ever home, or never opened the door. She turned around and jumped down to the ground. Epona neighed for attention. Ilia smiled to her and started petting her. She noticed Epona's ribs were showing more than usual. Ilia filled with rage and fury. Has he been neglecting Epona as well? How could he be so selfish? She ran her fingers through her coat. it was fairly clean and recently brushed. There was also a bale of hay in her trough as well. She just wasn't eating anything. _"How odd…"_ Ilia thought. She remembered when she was little, she asked the goat herder about animals. He told her something that fascinated her. If the owner and his animal had a close bond together, they could feel each other's emotions. She never took it into realization till now. It seems that Epona feels the same way Link feels now. She took Epona's reigns and started to lead her to Ordon Spring to bathe her. _"I'm sure Link won't mind."_ She thought to herself. As she turned around, she let out a small gasp and dropped the reign. Link stood there watching her.

"What may I ask, are you doing with my horse?"

"Link! I didn't even hear you come up!" Her cheeks blushed furiously. "I thought I might give Epona a bath for you… to save you the trouble." Ilia looked at him closely. He was wearing the green tunic again. The tunic that symbolized him as the Chosen Hero. He hasn't put on those garments since he returned from his long voyage. She had once asked him why he never worn them afterwards because she thought he looked rather handsome in them. He just gave a sad smile and said, "Too many memories". She also noticed a medium sized rucksack resting over his shoulders. _"Oh Goddesses,"_ she thought, _"He's leaving."_

She asked the obvious. "Are you…"

"Leaving?" Link finished for her. "Yes, I am. So washing Epona for me won't be necessary. Thank you anyway though.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry that I've been so cold towards everyone and especially you. Promise me that you won't let the villagers know that I'm going away. Don't worry about me Ilia."

"I promise. Are you ever going to come back?"

Link was hesitant on his reply. "If I find what I'm looking for."

Ilia nodded. She knew that he probably wasn't going to come back. "I guess this is goodbye then."

Link didn't say anything. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. She hugged him back, not wanting to let go. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her face on his shoulder. When she finally ran out of tears, link let her go. Ilia just sniffled and nodded her head. She knew it was time for him to leave. Link kissed her on the cheek and then walked to his horse. He jumped on Epona and led her towards Hyrule Field. His sword and Hylian Shield were equipped. _"He must be going on a dangerous journey."_ she thought. She watched him walk slowly further and further away until he disappeared. He was gone. He was really gone. And this time, he wasn't coming back.

As he passed Ordon Spring, he could see the pink fairies twinkling in the air. One saw him and flew toward him.

"Have you come to play with us again, Hero?"

"Not today, I'm afraid."

She hung her head. "Oh, okay then." She fluttered back to her friends. Link continued on the path, but he stopped shortly. His ear twitched as he heard a faint fluttering sound no louder than a butterfly's flight. He looked behind him and saw the same fairy that sat on his head last night.

"Oh, hello Hero." she said shyly. "I was hoping you wouldn't hear me…"

Link motioned her to come over. She flew to him. "What are you doing here, little one?"

"My name is Shai. I thought maybe I could accompany you on your journey?" she asked quietly.

Link let out a smile. "Sure. I would love to have you come along. I could certainly use the company."

Shai's face beamed as she grinned ear to ear. "Oh, you won't regret your decision Hero! Thank you so much!" She twirled around in the air happily and flew over to him and kissed the tip of his ear. "I'll be your personal look out! I'll make sure nothing happens to you!"

Link nodded and urged Epona to continue walking. Shai happily sat on Link's shoulder. He now had a new companion. He knew that Shai could never replace his beloved Midna, but I would be nice to have her presence along. Maybe his search won't be so bad after all.

"You can call me Link, Shai. I'm not really a hero anymore. I returned the Master Sword a long time ago."

Shai just smiled. "You're always going to be the Chosen Hero to me."

_"How cute."_ Link thought. "But what about your friends? And your home? Aren't you going to miss them?

She scowled. "Sure, my home is nice, but the fairies do the same thing every day. Soak up the sunshine, and flutter about. I want adventure! I want to see the world of Hyrule. Plus I could sense that you weren't going to come back here for an awfully long time."

"That's true. Well, I need to stop at Lake Hylia to visit the Spirit of Lanayru."

Shai clapped her hands. "Okay! I've always wanted to visit other springs too!" She punched the air with her fist. "Charge!"

Link blinked several times and stared at her.

"Oh, oops. I do get carried away sometimes. Let's go at your pace." Her short, choppy, strawberry blonde hair bobbed when she smiled. Her cherry colored eyes lit up when she heard Link let out a soft chuckle.

Before they crossed the bridge to Hyrule Field, Link noticed Collin hiding behind a tree. _"How many more people are going to stop me before I can actually get to the field?"_ Link sighed to himself.

"Collin, come on over."

He timidly walked over to Link. "Goodbye Link… I'm going to miss you. You'll always be my hero."

"See you kiddo." Link ruffled Collin's hair. "I want you to be on your best behavior. I need a man to take charge of this whole village when I'm gone."

Collin put on a wide smile. "I won't let you down Link!" He said while he stood up straight and puffed out his chest.

"I'll be back. Don't you worry."

Collin waved goodbye and watched him head towards the field.

"Your goodbye with him was awfully rushed, don't you think? He seems to be rather found of you." Shai said.

"And that's exactly why I tried to hasten my farewell. He looked up to me his whole life. Short goodbyes are less painful."

"You sure do seem to be very popular among the people here. Especially the females."

Link wrinkled his nose. "What are you talking about?"

She stood up on Link's and inhaled the air near his face. "I can detect a smell on your lips," she added a sly grin, "that isn't yours."

Link licked his lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Not only that, I already know about the wound inside of your heart."

Link cleared his throat indicating that he rather not talk about that subject.

She noticed quickly. "I'm sorry, Hero. I understand what you're going through. I lost someone too. He was a very courageous fairy."

"I didn't know that there were male fairies."

"Oh yes. They look different than us females and they only appear at night. Which is probably why you never seen any. They emit a very dark purple glow and have greater healing powers than us female fairies as well.

"His name was Serith. We fell madly in love with each other. His dream was always to explore the world of Hyrule too. He had a human companion also. But he gave up his life when she was mauled by a wolf. I begged him not to do it. I couldn't understand why he would do that when he had his own life to live! He said it was his fate. And that he was destined to do this." Tears rolled down her face. "I mourned for so long. It wasn't until a couple of days later that I moved on. I wish that our powers could heal emotional hurt as well."

"I'm sorry Shai. It would be certainly helpful if that could happen. I know you'll find another wonderful night fairy when you're ready."

She smiled sadly with moistened eyes. "It's okay. I'm fine now and I moved on."

Link nodded as he looked straight ahead. She flew down to his thigh and covered her body with the folds of his clothes.

"I think I'm going to take a short nap. Is that okay?"

"Sure thing. I'll wake you up when we arrive there."

They arrived at the Great Bridge of Hylia shortly. He could still see the burnt scars on the bridge that happened so long ago. He gently picked up his fairy and placed her on his right hand. He got off of Epona carefully and told her not to wander off too far.

Link exhaled deeply. He was very reluctant about going down to the lake. When Midna was with him, all he had to do was ask her to warp him down to the lake. Now he had to pay twenty rupees to go down to a _public_ lake.

He opened the door that was his ticket to the vast body of water. Link twisted his face in disgust and plugged his nose.

"How can that guy stand this smell?" he muttered.

The smell of cuccos was revolting when they were in numbers. He walked up to the guy who was in charge of this "game". His face lit up when he saw Link.

"Hi-i-i-i!!" he shouted. He dragged the word "hi" in a sing-song voice. Link's ear twitched as he cringed. The man's face was plastered with paint like a clown. His red lipstick smile widened. He wore a short shirt that exposed his stomach and balloon pants that were a little _too_ transparent.

"Oh! My favorite customer! I haven't seen you in a while!" He said as he stuck his face into Link's face.

Link jerked back quickly. "I wonder why?" He sneered.

Shai woke up and yawned. "What's with all this noise?" She stood up and stretched her wings.

The man clapped his hands when he spotted Shai. "Oh! You have a little fairy! She's so cute!" He reached out to touch her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were…" Link began, but it was too late. He poked her in her abdomen. Shai slapped the guy's hand and glowed bright red. He withdrew his hand quickly and rubbed his sore finger.

"Feisty little thing, isn't she?"

She harrumphed as Link picked up a brown cucoo and paid the man twenty rupees.

"Right this way, Sir." He moved out of the way in an odd fashion. His arms stuck out in the air as he strut his hips while walking out of Link's way.

Link stiffened when he noticed him looking at his butt when he walked to the ledge. He quickly jumped off and guided the cucoo as close to the spirit's cave as possible. He landed near the cannon he had built over a year ago and threw the squawking cucco in the water.

"That man was…creepy." Shai said as she shuddered.

"That man was a fairy."

She planted her hands on her hips. "I beg your pardon?" she exclaimed.

Link realized what he said and started laughing.

"I didn't mean it in that sense. I just meant that he's… well, gay."

Shai turned her head the other way. "Whatever. You didn't have to insult us fairies though." She smiled to show that she was playing around. "I guess you attract both females _and_ males."

"Shut up. We're going to the spirit now."

She giggled and followed after Link. Before they entered in the dark cave, Shai flew behind Link's shoulder and hid.

"Why exactly going here again?"

"I need to talk to Lanayru about something important."

"Out of all the light spirits you had to choose the one in the spooky looking cave." She said while she gripped his clothes tightly as he walked inside. The place was dimly lit with the exception of fairies fluttering about. Statues of serpents decorated the wall. Cold, clammy are tingled his flesh as he walked further in. the other fairies noticed Shai and whispered amongst themselves. She shot a dirty glance at the fairies and shut them up immediately. One fairy meekly flew up to Link. Shai instantly flew in front of Link and threw some type of glittering dust on him.

"He's mine." she growled protectively.

The other fairy started to back away.

"It's okay Shai. Let her speak."

Shai flew back over to Link hesitantly. She glowered at the other fairy as she sat on Link's shoulder and huffed.

"Why are you here, Chosen Hero?" asked the fairy.

"I needed to see the Light Spirit."

All the fairies broke out into a whisper. The one that was supposedly the leader spoke up.

"We haven't heard or seen the Great Spirit in a long time."

Link looked at her strangely, and then he walked towards the ledge and peered over it. His reflection stared back at him.

"Damn." he scratched his head. "How long has it been since the spirit disappeared?"

She shrugged. "A couple of months ago."

"I guess we'll have to visit another spring then. I'd rather talk to Lanayru, but guess we can visit Faron."

Link turned around. Shai glanced behind her to look at the fairies one more time. What she saw wasn't the fairies. She had a horrified look on her face.

"Link! Look out!"

It was too late. A long arm with a deformed hand appeared from the water and seized Link and dragged him towards the water. It was too fast for him to even draw his sword out. Escape was futile. Shai grabbed the tip of his hat.

"You're not going alone!" she shrieked.

It hoisted them in the air and then submerged under the water.

Author's note:: so did you like this chapter? I tried to make it longer than the first chapter. I kind of like the way I described the creepy guy at the top of the cannon. He looked like a pedophile. .

Oh. Please tell me how you like Shai as well!


	4. Chapter 3

Author's note:: sorry for the long delay. I got lazy for a week, and then I finally decided to pick up a pen and start writing again. I really do appreciate all of the awesome reviews of my story and I hope to see more! Oh. And my story hit over 1000 hits. Thanks you guys! I also allowed anonymous posting so random people can post on this story as well. Well, its longer than my second chapter, so enjoy!

I do not own Zelda, but all of these ideas are strictly mine.

Chapter 3 

He couldn't breathe. The hand gripped his waist and arms so that he couldn't move at all. Link struggled to break free, but the hand was massive and much too strong. Efforts of escaping were vastly slim. He looked up to see how far he was from the surface. Instead, he saw a pink glow above him. A little creature was grasping his hat. A horrified feeling overcame him. Shai had actually followed him! A little fairy that hadn't known him longer than a day actually risked her life to follow him. Tight pressure quickly cleared that thought from his mind. He was still in the dark water. Link was in desperate need of air now. His body was numb from the hand's tight squeeze and he felt like his head was about to burst from the depth's pressure. He knew he wasn't going to survive. Shai climbed down to his neck with difficulty. She held on to his collar as they continued to sink down into what seemed like a never-ending abyss. He squint his eyes shut. The water was burning his eyes now. He couldn't hold his breath any longer. He eyes heavily opened. Shai was looking up at him with panic. There was nothing she could do for him. They were drowning. Air bubbles escaped from his lips as his eyes finally closed.

---

Sounds echoed in his head. Link felt like he was floating on clouds. He could feel a slight breeze on his wet skin. His thoughts raced like wildfire. He was on solid ground. Link tried to move, but he wouldn't budge. It was like a weight pressed down on him and wouldn't allow him to move. He tried to breath, but he couldn't do that either. Link started panicking. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't do anything. And those noises… what were they? The sounds were faint, and sounded similar to voices. Someone was there, but why weren't they helping him? The voices were too muffled to make out what they were saying, and he couldn't even open his eyes to see what was going on. Terror overpowered him. He urgently needed air, but he wasn't breathing at all. His body started shaking severely.

"Quick! He's having a seizure!" someone shouted.

Glowing blue hands covered his temples. A warm, tingling sensation shot through his body. The violent convulsion didn't stop. Blood poured from his nose and eyes.

"He needs to breathe!"

Lips planted on Link's cold lips and forced air into his lungs.

"What are you doing? Are you insane? How can you kiss him at a time like this?!" someone from the background shouted.

The person who kissed him ignored the shouts. Hands were firmly placed on his upper body and started compressing his chest repeatedly. Lips met his again and breathed air into his lungs. Whispers were heard among the baffled crowd.

"What are you doing? Are you just going to watch while he dies?" the person screamed. More hands were placed all over his body and started glowing. The unnatural sensation intensified as the hands glowed bright teal trying to stop his spasm.

"Breathe, damn it, breathe!"

One final breath blew into his lips and filled his lungs. A single breath of life. His shaking gradually stopped, but he still continued to bleed. Water spurted out from his lips. He coughed forcefully as more water and blood spilled out from his mouth. His lungs filled with precious air as he inhaled deeply. His eyes opened and tried to focus. Everything was tinted red from the blood in his eyes.

"Mid…na…" he whispered hoarsely. She smiled at him and held his hands. His eyes secreted tears naturally in attempt to wash away the blood. They dripped down his bloodstained face.

"Link, I'm here for you. My people and I saved you. I'll always be here for you."

He weakly shook his head. He knew better. "You're… not… real."

She frowned slightly. "If I wasn't real, would I be able to do this?" she bent over and kissed him gently on his lips.

"No. You're a dream," Link coughed. "Now, leave me alone!"

She gave him a vicious look, then disappeared. The whole scenery vanished. There were no Twilits surrounding him, no hands keeping him still, just a bright light. It was all just another illusion, and he was in the abode of the Goddesses. Or was he? His face was still stained with blood and his clothes were sopping wet. If he recalled correctly, he remembered Mayor Bo telling him how the afterlife was a perfect place where everything was flawless and pure. No pain, no sadness, and no injuries. Since there was blood on his face, he couldn't have been in the divine place of the Gods and Goddesses.

Link sat up and felt his head. He had a terrible headache from the immense pressure. He looked at his surroundings. The place was vast, but not much was there. Shallow water and bright light was the only thing accompanying him. He scooped up some of the water and washed the dried blood off of his face. He suddenly remembered about Shai.

"Shai! Are you here?" The only response he heard was the echoes of his own voice. He noticed something pink floating on the water.

"Shai!" He quickly got on his knees and picked her up gently. His keen ears could hear that she wasn't breathing. He bit his lip. It was his fault that she was in this condition. He imagined she swallowed too much water because her stomach was poking out a little bit. He pressed her stomach with his finger and water shot out of her mouth in a thin stream like a water fountain. Her skin's glow returned as she breathed in deeply. She shook her and sprinkled water everywhere. She blinked with curiosity and took a look around.

"Where am I?" she said to herself out loud.

"I have no clue, but I'm glad you're okay."

She looked towards the sound of Link's Voice quickly.

"Hero! Oh thank the Goddesses you're safe!" she hugged his thumb tightly. "I though you were going to be gone forever. I couldn't have let that happen. Nope! Not without me!"

He laughed. _"She's been knocked out longer than I have, and she has already gotten her spunk back,"_ he thought.

An alarmed look took place of her smile. She tried to fly to his face, but her wings couldn't flutter. They were broken in three different places each.

"Hero, are you okay? What happened? How are you still alive, who saved you?" her words spilled out of her mouth one after another.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Shai. What are you talking about?"

"I asked, who saved you?"

"What makes you think someone saved me?"

"Well, it could have been a 'what' too, but that's beside the point." She squint her cherry-colored eyes and pointed to her nose. "I smell human blood. A lot of it. And you're the only human that I can detect within my range."

Link sighed. He couldn't hide anything from this fairy. "Honestly, I don't know what saved me. All I remember is that I felt hands touching my body and my head, and I felt air being forced into me. Then I saw her again."

Shai raised an eyebrow.

"I saw Midna again. She was the one who saved me, and she told me that she was always going to be here for me, and then she kissed me. But I knew it wasn't her. It didn't feel like her, and it didn't kiss like her either.

"How do you know how she kisses like when you never kissed her before?"

"I don't know. But for some reason, it didn't feel right. It felt… like it was empty. No emotion whatsoever. But anyways, I told 'Midna' to leave me alone. Then it gave me the most chilling look, and her eyes turned completely blue. I don't know, but something about those eyes are hauntingly familiar…"

Shai gave him a look like he swallowed a bit too much water. "Maybe you should rest a little before we start walking. Plus, I smell blood all over your face. Especially around your eyes and nose."

"That's just how I woke up. I saw my reflection and it was like I was bleeding tears from my eyes and my nose. And I don't need any rest. I can handle it fine."

"Maybe you should sit down, because that sounds like a pretty serious convulsion."

"You mean, like shaking?"

Shai nodded her head. "I've seen quite a few of them. My mother taught me how to heal a person if I was ever to be used on a human in that condition. It's a pretty scary sight. My mother's sister healed a person who had a convulsion, and she took it hard. Her sister was like her best friend."

"Being a fairy sounds difficult."

"It is. It's very depressing. Normally, when people think of fairies, they think of frolicking in flowers, twirling in the air, and whole bunch of other happy nonsense. But in reality, we lose many family members and friends who capture us and force us to use our powers, sacrificing ourselves. It's not easy.

"I see. I'll never catch a fairy again."

She smiled. "It's none of your doing, Hero. It's the fate of us healing fairies. We were put here on earth for a reason.

"Speaking of healing, your wings are broken!"

She looked back at her delicate wings. They jutted out abnormally.

"They'll heal soon. The good thing about being a fairy is that our natural essence heals us much faster than humans. The pain will only live shortly."

"Amazing. You don't worry about yourself, but you worry about me. That's very noble."

She smiled and shrugged it off as it were nothing. She winced as she touched her broken wings. They were going to have to be straightened somehow, otherwise they were going to be healed improperly. She quickly broke them back into place as tears streamed from her face. It literally felt like someone was peeling off her skin, then rubbed in acid into her flesh. The back of her hand wiped the sweat off of her brow.

"You going to be okay?"

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I'll be fine." She gave a shaky smile.

Link saw new tears brimming in her eyes. It certainly didn't look like she was going to be okay. "Here, you ride on my shoulder from now on."

She gladly accepted the offer. "Thank you, Hero."

Link just nodded his head and placed her on his broad shoulder. Shai sat down comfortably and looked around. Link started to walk, however he had no clue where he was heading to. The whole area was quiet and serene. The only noise was the splashing of his boots as he walked.

"I've never noticed that you had your ears pierced. When did you get them done?"

"As a Hylian male, it is a symbol for becoming a man. I got them done when I was fourteen, the age old enough to handle a sword."

"I'm not a man, but I have mine done too. See?" She lifted up her choppy hair. Link squinted his eyes to see her earrings. They were little white baby's breath flowers.

"I never thought of flowers as jewelry."

"Yes, females wear flowers ands males usually wear earth materials."

"So they use stones, wood, and leaves."

"Pretty much. Serith's favorite stone was onyx. That is what I made his… well, our interlocking rings out of."

"Oh really? So yours is onyx as well?"

"It's not onyx, but it's a rare form of pearl called the Goddess' Tear. It's my favorite stone." She lifted up her left hand so he could see it.

Link looked at it more closely. The bottom of the ring was straight, but the design on the top was different. It was very intricate with unique designs.

"How come it's different on the top?"

"Oh that? It's because we made our rings to bit each other when they are put together. Like we were one."

Link smiled at the thought of a loving couple as one. "So your rings were dark and light. Exact opposites."

"Yes. Precisely. One cannot exist without each other."

Those words shot his heart like an arrow. She was right. Princess Zelda had said almost the exact same thing. What was he beloved's purpose for leaving then? It just didn't make sense. Perhaps she needed to fulfill her duty as the ruler of Twilight alone, without any distractions. It pained him to thing that Midna possibly thought of him as a hindrance.

Shai broke the silence. "Is it just me, or does it feel almost sacred it here?"

He shook his thoughts, closed his eyes, and stopped walking. "Yeah, now that you mention it, it does feel sacred. I wonder where we are." He started walking again.

She just gave a shrug. "I've never seen a place so… luminescent."

Link opened his mouth to say something, but he knocked his foot into something hard. A curse word stumbled out of his mouth. He grabbed the toe of his foot and balanced on his other foot. Shai fell into the water when Link staggered.

"Stupid rock. It's so damn bright in here, I can't see what's in front of me!"

Shai rose to the surface and floated in place. She spat out water out of her mouth in a thin stream.

"Hero, look!" She climbed on the stone that Link ran into. "It's not a stone at all. it's a golden slab of some sort. It looks like a pedestal."

He regained his balance and bent down to take a closer look. Something was engraved on the stone. He ran his fingers across the surface of it. A triforce was carved in the middle along with a phrase.

"_Only the hands of the Goddesses_

_will assimilate the knowledge_

_of which is desired the most."_

"Only the hands of the Goddesses?" Link asked.

"H-m-m-m… Goddesses? Are we in the place where the Gods and Goddesses dwell?"

"I doubt that Shai. If we were in a heaven of some sort, my foot wouldn't be throbbing right now."

She giggled. "I suppose. So what do you think that saying means?"

"Well, it almost sounds like only the Goddesses themselves can touch this. But if that was true, why would they even have the desire to create this chamber and the pedestal in the first place?"

"What an interesting conundrum."

Link looked at her oddly.

"What? Who says fairies can't be intelligent?"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself. She never ceased to amuse him.

"well, since mortals are allowed in this place, and we randomly appeared here from our world, we must be here for a reason." she said

"In this phrase, it says that you will gain the knowledge of which you desire the most. This would be extremely efficient on my search for Midna."

"Yes, it would be nice if we could take advantage of this, but you don't exactly have the hands of a goddess. Unless… you have something to tell me." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Ha ha. Very funny. My hands are bigger than two of you."

"Yeah right. Your gloves make your hands bigger than what they seem."

Link took off his left glove and placed his hand next to Shai. "See? It is a lot bigger than you. Twice your size. I win."

"It's just because I'm small for my size!"

"Actually, you're around four and a half inches, quite an average height for fairies."

She crossed her arms and harrumphed. He reached to put back on his glove. She stole a glimpse of the back of his hand.

"Of course! You're the hero chosen by the Goddesses!"

He looked at her strangely at her sudden outburst. "Yeah, and what's your point?"

"You have the hand of a Goddess!"

What she said threw him off. "We just went over this, Shai."

"NO, no, no. I'm not talking about that. You have the mark of the Triforce on the back of your hand."

"Yeah, that has always been there. I'm the wielder of the triforce of courage."

She put her index finger to her lip. "So specifically, you have the hand of Farore."

Link was getting frustrated. "Will you _please_ tell me what are you talking about?"

"Oh. Of course." She had almost forgotten about him. "You know that the three Goddesses created the land of Hyrule and the triforce before time, right? Well, a part of them went into each of the corresponding triangle which balanced out the Triforce. Only the person that had each of the traits, power, courage, and wisdom, and equal balance could use the power for good. Or for evil. When the evil lord who you know as Ganondorf touched the sacred Triforce in hopes of gaining this power, it split into three pieces and went to the people who qualified the most for each specific trait. Of course, you received the triforce of courage. It will always be passed down to your generation when the hero is reborn in another time."

Link nodded his head. "That makes sense if you think of it in that way. So I have a part of Farore in me. This just might work."

He put his left hand on the polished pedestal. Nothing happened.

"Try taking off your glove."

He had overlooked that. Perhaps it needed his hand to be bare. He took off his glove and placed his hand on the slab. Still, nothing happened. Link rose to his feet.

"Well, that was a waste of time." He brushed off some of the water that was on his tunic.

Shai looked down. "I believe you are mistaken, Hero, chosen by the Gods."

The pedestal radiated a bright golden light. Shai outstretched her arms to be picked up. He quickly picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. He took a step back as the pedestal glowed more intensely. The floor let up in the shape of a triangle. Link noticed it promptly and ran away from the blazing floor. The pedestal shattered as a radiant light shot out of the floor. Link shielded his eyes from the immense light. A figure emerged from the glowing triangle.

"Hero! Look!" she exclaimed.

Link slowly opened his eyes. The light was still extremely bright, so he couldn't see what was going on. His eyes quickly adjusted to the surroundings. What he saw though, made him think that he was just dreaming. It was completely unimaginable.

The figure that was in front of him was in form of a woman. She had long, flowing, emerald green hair that floated in the air gracefully as it were in water. Her soft, jade eyes looked at him with a form of authority. Silken golden skin shimmered with light as she floated in the air. A satiny cloth covered her body in resemblance of a gown. Her stomach and shoulders were left bare and the sarong of her gown swayed in the air reveling her long legs. She lowered down to the surface of the water. It rippled as her resplendence aura gently kissed the water.

Link stood agape as this incredulous moment was really happening.

She opened her pale green lips. "Welcome to the chamber of light, Link. The hero, hand chosen by me." Her voice sent shockwaves in the air as it vibrated his body. It was the most pleasant, yet terrifying thing he ever heard. Holy essence radiated from her skin as she waited for his response.

"Do not be in fear oh chosen one, speak of which you desire."

He had the sudden urge to fall on his knees and bow down before her, but his legs wouldn't move. Finally, he lowered to one knee and bowed before her.

"Arise my child. What is your desire?"

He thought for a minute before answering. "I want to find the Twilight Princess. I want to be able to see her, to speak to her again."

"You want much more than that though, don't you."

He was silent.

"Oh chosen one, before I tell you about the one you look for, I am going to elucidate something with you. The one you are searching for is in another realm. What you are seeking is darkness."

She reached out her hand and touched his forehead. An uncomfortable sense prickled all over his body as the surrounding faded to pitch black. The only light that was provided was the pink, iridescent glow of Shai. Link noticed something ahead of them. The hood and cape that belonged to someone so dear and familiar to him. It was her. There was no mistake about it. He reached out his hand to touch her. His hand placed on her shoulder and she turned around. A face that once beamed with life and love was now ashen and lifeless. Her dead eyes stared blankly into his. Her breath was short and her lips were slightly opened. Dark, red blood dripped from her opened mouth.

"Midna… what happened?" Link whispered.

"Link, look below." Shai quivered.

He gasped. A blade jutted out of her stomach. Her blood stained the steel sword as it dripped onto the ground. Shai started crying. Link clenched his jaw tightly with rage.

"Who did this!" he shouted furiously.

He heard a demonic laugh. Two crimson eyes appeared before him. The creature looked exactly like Link, but his features were opposite. Jet black hair instead of blonde, an ebony tunic instead lf green, and ghostly white skin instead of Link's tan. In the hand of the demon was the master sword that protruded out of Midna's stomach. The dark shadow put his foot on the small of her back and viciously kicked her off his sword. Midna limply fell towards Link who caught her in his arms. She looked into Link's eyes weakly, then her eyes rolled back into her head. She was no longer breathing.

"You sick bastard! You murdered her!" he shouted.

His lips curled up into a smile. "I am no murderer, dear light creature."

His voice was the exact same as Link's, but also fused with another more demoniacal voice.

He grabbed Link's throat with his powerful hand.

"Get your filthy hand off of me!" he shouted.

"I don't think you're in the place to make such demanding orders."

Shai tried to grab his hand to help Link, but she couldn't touch the demon's hand. Her hand went right through his.

"Aww, how sweet. Your pathetic little pixie is trying to save you." he cooed mockingly. He turned to Shai. "You're worthless, you little insect."

She burned red with anger as she watched helplessly.

The evil spirit's face softened as he stroked Link's face with is free hand. "You know, I should thank you for making me so beautiful. That pretty face of yours must make girls swoon over you constantly." His grip tightened around his throat. "Now, this won't hurt a bit."

The demon slowly merged himself with Link. It felt like a sledge hammer breaking into his skull. After he was completely inside of him, Link fell to the ground, barely catching himself with his arms. Echoes of laughter was heard around the room. He brought himself up to his feet.

"I am you, Link. I am your dark side. I didn't' kill her, you did!"

He looked around frantically for the source of the sound.

"I would never harm her, you evil bastard!" he shouted angrily.

"Oh? Why don't you take a look at your hands then."

Link looked down at his hands. They were bloodstained by his beloved's wound, and the sword was in his hand as well. He saw his reflection on the ground, but it wasn't him. It was Dark Link. He threw the sword down and screamed.

"No! I killed her! I really killed her! She's dead!"

His hand took a dagger that was on his belt and held it in front of his eyes.

"Hero, please don't do it, it wasn't you who killed her!" Shai exclaimed.

"It's too late. She's dead, and it's my entire fault! I might as well die along with her." He started to plunge the dagger into his chest.

He stopped right as the pint of the blade pierced his flesh. Something was holding him back. The darkness melted back to the light. They were at the chamber of light again, and Farore held his arm.

"Enough Link. That was just an illusion."

"Let me die! I don't want to live anymore!"

Farore disintegrated the knife and snapped him out of the illusion with a mere blink of her eyes.

Link shook with fear. "Why Farore… why would you show me such an image. It was too real…" he breathed. He was too shocked to move. The cut on his chest trickled blood proving that he was willing to kill himself.

"I didn't show you that illusion. I just showed you your dark self. Your mind went out of control after that. I had to stop the illusion before you were going to gravely injure yourself."

He still quavered with the disturbing image.

"Do you remember what Lanayru showed you about the Fused Shadows on your first quest? Those ancient relics were fused from the darkness of mortals. That is why it is so powerful."

"What does that have to do with us now?" Shai asked.

"Back then you were seeking darkness. And you're still seeking darkness now. But it is far too dangerous to continue this journey. The light spirits have somehow vanished from the light world." She then turned to Link. "Dark Link wasn't something that I created to show you something. He really does exist inside of you. Your dark side will grow out of control if you fall into the hands of the wrong person. You _must_ give up your search for the Twilight! That is why she returned to her world and destroyed the mirror. She knows of the fate that will happen when creatures of the light can nonchalantly warp between the two worlds. Beings of the light are not supposed to dwell in the shadows! Heed my warning young hero."

Before Link had a chance to say anything, Farore looked up with her eyes closed. Her body glowed brilliantly as Link shielded his eyes again.

They were back in Lanayru's cave. He looked around and touched his face. They were finally back in their own world.

"That was freaky…" Shai said quietly. "Was that Midna?"

"Yes."

"She is very beautiful."

"Yes, she is."

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.

Link clenched his fists tightly at his sides. "I'm going to defy the Goddesses." He replied without any hesitance.

Authors note:: soooo.. What do you guys think so far? The plot is thickening by the chapter, and ive introduced dark link. Im not sure if I'm going to make him a major character though, he's really just inside of Link right now.. Hmm.. Well, please review! I appreciate it!


	5. Chapter 4

Author's Note::

Hello everyone!! I am truly sorry for the long delay in my update. But I finally got off of my lazy butt and decided to update for my fans.

Thank you for the following people that have reviewed my story thus so far::

Akabane-Girl, azuilmst, Kitsune of Doom, Thawn716, Souless Nightmare, Big Guy, ephidel285, moonxxdark, applepai, ellese-chan, mastersword50, Lavitz92, Spazthemax, T Sig, Roland Desagare, Samio, and Chris.

And thank you all for have read my story so far!! Over 2000 hits! Thank you! You made it possible.

Okay. On the chapter. I definitely struggled on writing midna's character because I saw very little of her true form's personality. I didn't want her to sound callous and impish like she was in her imp form. But I wanted her to remain sarcastic and have a tone of authority as well. I figured an aggressive and sarcastic personality would compliment Link's quiet and more reserved character. Hope you enjoy! And please review!

Chapter Four

The wind blew through her soft hair. She looked up at the deep yellow sky as a deep sigh escaped from her lips. The guards would be worried if they found her not to be in the palace again, but she never cared. It's not like anything bad would happen to her. After all, her world was finally safe from the grips of that evil lord, Ganondorf.

It's been well over a year in their time since the war happened. Oh how she missed those days, even though they were during perilous times.

"Curses…" she muttered under her breath. Her fists tightened. A single tear fell from her eyes onto a pale blue flower.

"Princess!" A voice shouted not too far off.

She quickly wiped the tear and stood up.

"Your Highness, you know you shouldn't wander too far from your palace. You never know what may happen."

"Sylvia, you should know that this pace is finally safe. I know that caution has its advantages, but today is quite lovely out and I felt the need to relax without any interruptions. I already have a headache as it is. I want to enjoy the scenery from my garden."

"Sorry, Your Highness." Sylvia looked at the blue flower in from on the princess. "May I?" she asked.

The princess nodded as she watched her personal attendant bent down and plucked the flower. She brought it to her nose and inhaled the aroma deeply.

"Twilight's flowers are so beautiful," she said while gently stroking a petal. She then placed it above the princess' ear. It matched the hue of her skin perfectly in color and brought out the shade of orange of her vibrant hair. "But not nearly as beautiful as our Princess.

"Come now, we must get you back to the palace. He awaits you, Your Excellency," she took her by the hand.

She scrunched her nose slightly. "Sylvia, you know that I prefer you to call me by my real name, and not by any formal titles."

She blushed slightly. "I'm sorry. I do forget that we are alone. Please, now let us go back to your palace Miss Midna."

It was still slightly formal, but she supposed that it was fine for now. Besides, Sylvia never called her just "Midna" no matter how many times she told that it was highly unnecessary.

"Come, we must get you ready to see him."

Midna stopped and folded her arms. "He will see me when I am ready. I will not rush to see that imbecile," she said crossly. She looked up at the yellow sky. The stars indicated that it was sometime near noon. That gave them plenty of time to get ready, and plenty of time to keep him anxious and on his toes.

_"Oh Link, how I wish you were here right now," _she thought to herself.

They arrived at the palace shortly. It was a grand place, really, decorated with the finest crystals and embroidered with turquoise. Ebony statues were everywhere symbolizing the past rulers of Twilight. Someday she would be carved in stone and living in the hearts of their people for all eternity. She and Sylvia climbed the many steps that led to her room. Her door was locked when Sylvia tried to open it.

"Oh yes, of course." Midna stepped in front of her attendant and opened her hand, palm side up. It started to glow a deep yellow as a key formed out of the energy. She quickly unlocked the door and waved off the key as it disintegrated in the air. Only royal family was permitted to enter her chambers without any consent, but since she was the only heir to the throne, no one but her faithful attendant stepped foot in her room.

Her room was large and elegant. The furnishings were done in turquoise and gold. The walls were made of the most expensive ivory. A large fountain was built in the middle with a statue carved in the shape resembling a seraph. In the fountain contained water of the purest in the land and mixed with the finest floral oils with flower petals. It served as a fine decoration and a soothing place to bathe. It was large enough to fit at least ten people comfortably and have excess swimming room. Her bed was a large canopy bed with black sheets and turquoise trimming that complimented her walls quite nicely. The curtains of the canopy bed were slightly transparent so that you could see the silky sheets inside.

She turned towards Sylvia. "I wish to take a bath," she said without any emotion in her voice.

"But My Lady, he is--""

Midna cocked one eyebrow up and stared at her. She closed her mouth quickly and nodded. She brought out fresh towels for after the bath and undressed her. With a snap of her fingers, her hand and the water emitted a slight blue glow. A few seconds later, steam arose from the water signaling that it was ready. The floral aroma filled the room with a lovely scent.

Sylvia smiled. "Your bath awaits you."

"Thank you very much."

She tested the water with the tip of her foot at first making sure that it wasn't too warm. Seeing that it was just the right temperature, she slowly glided into the water and sat down inhaling the delicious fumes.

"You know Miss Midna, your father would have been very proud of you for this," she said while massaging minerals on her shoulders.

"Please," she scoffed, "My father would never approve of that scum. He's going to be just like the others. Wanting me for my riches and power."

"You have never even met him before. He may be a true gentleman. You're not even giving him a chance."

"This coming out from the person who said this for the last twelve men who were seeking my hand in marriage? I do not think so. I grow weary of this dull routine. Therefore, I don't have to give anyone a chance. They are all the same."

Sylvia plucked the flower out of her hair and set it aside for now. She then worked into her hair, lathering soap into her long locks. Midna played with a rose petal as she patiently waited for her to finish washing her hair.

"He still would be very proud to see his daughter all grown up, with such a love for her people."

She was quiet and started ripping the petal.

"I know you don't want to meet him, but try to let it not ruin your day."

"I'll be the one who decides that," she snapped.

Sylvia couldn't help but to giggle. Midna was very sarcastic and she was used to it after being with her since she was a child. She only felt sorry for the man that she would someday marry.

"Have you ever considered marriage? No wait, let me rephrase that. Have you ever fallen in love with anyone?

Her words struck a nerve. Of course she has fallen in love with someone. She was currently smitten by the mere thoughts of him. Her heart ached so much just to hear his sweet voice whisper her name just one more time. How she longed to see him again, even if it was just for a second.

"No," she answered abruptly. "I do not wish to love anyone. I have far too much to worry about than love. It is of unimportance." With a wave of her arm, she whisked off the sensitive subject.

She handed Midna a bar of soap to wash herself with. Sylvia knew that she wasn't telling her the whole truth, but the tone in her voice made it beyond clear that she didn't want to talk about it. Once she was finished washing up, she handed the soap back to her attendant who wasted no time washing her back. After she was finally finished and clean, Midna stood up as Sylvia poured fresh water all over her to rid of the excess foam. She stepped out of her bath and wringed the water out of the hair.

Midna raised her arms as Sylvia wrapped a towel around her body.

"Now, we must get you dressed," she said while cleaning the fountain's water with her magic.

"What is the rush, Sylvia? I thought I made it clear enough that I don't want to see him this quickly. Besides, I enjoy the fact that this is making him squirm."

"That's horrible, Your Highness!" she said in between laughs.

"Yes, but you're laughing."

She cleared her throat. "On to another subject, I think this dress would look stunning on you." she pulled a dress out of her enormous wardrobe. "What do you think of it?"

Midna peered over her shoulder to see which outfit she was talking about. It was a gorgeous gown in the shade of a dark blue that emitted a violet sheen.

"When did you get that dress? I have never seen it before."

Sylvia smiled slyly. "Just try it on, My Lady." She quickly helped Midna put on the gown and watched as she walked to a full body mirror to inspect herself.

"Did you design this?"

She smiled coolly as she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "But of course, Princess. I made sure that it was just perfect for the ruler of Twilight."

The gown had long, billowy sleeves that caressed her arms perfectly and had a split up to her elbows. The front had a deep swoop that revealed an ample amount of cleavage. The top stopped right below her bust showing her toned stomach. A sheer violet cloth was connected to the top so that you could still see the color of her light blue skin. The lower part of her gown was the same shade and hue of her top. The bottom hugged her hips tightly as the front revealed much of her legs and flared out to a longer length in the back. Magic was used to create the dress so that the train of the dress wouldn't touch but levitate slightly above the ground. It flowed eloquently as she took each step. White gold embellishment that matched the pattern of her glowing Twilight tattoos decorated the edges of her dress. A pendant in the shape of the moon was carved in Twilight's designs and placed along the belt of her skirts.

"Sylvia," she gasped. "It's lovely! When did you have time to do all of this? You are usually with me throughout the day." she said while admiring the dress.

"One must be act like a shadow, to dwell in the shadow," she said casually.

"Well I must say that you are a very talented designer. This is definitely one of your bests yet!"

"Thank you, Your Highness. Now, for your hair." she swiftly walked over to the princess' side and held some of her hair in her hand. She ushered Midna to sit in a chair in front of her vanity mirror. She dried her hair carefully with a touch of her magic and combed out any of the minor tangles that resided in her hair.

"How do you think I should wear my hair?" she asked while applying a clear gloss on her lips.

"Honestly, I think you should ditch the head piece all together and just wear the hair ornament. I'll do your hair half up, half down. Its simple, yet elegant."

"I suppose that will do then."

She also added loose curls to the ends of her hair, giving it more of a softer look. She put the forehead ornament on and fastened it securely to make sure it would not slip off.

"Just one more detail, My Dear." she took the flower that she picked earlier in the garden and placed it above her pointed ear. "Now you are truly ready," she said excitedly.

Midna stood up as Sylvia took a step back and studied her. "You would make the fairest maiden look like a peasant right now. Even Princess Zelda herself."

She just laughed. "Why thank you. You are much too kind. Now, shall we go see that man and flaunt to him what he cannot have?"

"Yes. This gown is a fine choice for you. It definitely shows the confidence and beauty that Twilight women are known for. It will bring peace on our people knowing that our leader is strong and assured with herself.

"You are a true friend. But if you cover for me and let me escape, you will also get a handsome reward as well."

She planted her hands on her hips and gave Midna a stern look. "Now Princess, you know you must go. Your people await you!" she huffed with slight impatience.

Midna put her hands in front of her. "I was just kidding around. I'll go down to the main hall and meet the damned person. I just want to know why you are so set on me going there. You usually let me have my way of things."

Sylvia winded and started to push Midna towards the door. "You'll see My Lady, you'll see."

Midna smiled sadly as her thoughts wandered back to Link. _"If he was awestruck back when he first saw my true form, if only he could see me now."_ She knew that it could never happen and tried her best to dismiss her thoughts from the hero and put on a cold, emotionless mask.

---

Sylvia made Midna promise that she would show up to the arrangement. After hearing an acceptably answer, she ran ahead of her leaving her behind. She claimed that she had to do something "important". She huffed when she left. Why, what could be more important that keeping her company? She shrugged it off. Perhaps she could bail out in the promise she made and use this time to her advantage and escape.

"Excuse me," a deep voice asked. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. Well, perhaps not _rudely_ interrupted, but interrupted none the less.

"Please, I prefer not to be touched."

The man quickly let go of her shoulder and held it to his side. "I am deeply sorry Miss, but I have seemed to lost my way. You see, my cousin has invited me to stay with his family, but lacked to give me directions to the place where I'm supposed to be headed during the time of dusk."

Midna rolled her eyes. _"Then why are you in my palace?"_ she thought. Se didn't really have tolerance for senselessness. She turned around to give him directions so that she could be on her way, but stopped dead in her tracks when she met his eyes.

There was something strange about this man. He towered above her, easily a head and shoulders taller than her. But those eyes. Those piercing, cold blue eyes. They were hauntingly familiar somehow. Even though she never saw this man before in her life. Not only that, she has seen many Twilit men before, but none were as alluring as this one in front of her eyes. She took a hold of a mental grip on herself. She never let a male make her swoon so easily, and she certainly wasn't going to let it start now.

"Yes, of course. You head straight towards where you cam from, and take a left at the first pathway. Its difficult not to miss."

"Thank you very much. I feel like a fool now," he took her hand gently and kissed top of it without losing eye contact. "I hope to see you again," and with that, he was off.

She rubbed her hand where he kissed and shivered slightly. It felt like an unearthly jolt shot through her body. Her hand ran through her hair as she took a different route to the same place he was going.

_"That man is certainly not normal."_ Perhaps she had her guard up too high, but those eyes were just too icy for her comforts. She had pointed him in the direction of the main ball room, where everybody was going to be for the evening.

She passed one of her guards unaware that he was even there.

"Your Highness!" he shouted out.

"Oh, Ray, I didn't even see you there. What is it?"

"Miss Sylvia requested you to make a grand entrance tonight."

"What is that woman up to?" She mumbled to herself. "What would she ask such a request?" she asked speaking more clearly.

The guard slightly shrugged his shoulders. "I really don't know Your Highness. All she said was if I saw you, tell you that should make a grand entrance. By the way Princess, you look absolutely beautiful."

Midna smiled and patted his cheek. "Things like that said will always guarantee you job."

He blushed furiously as she laughed and walked away.

She changed directions and headed toward the place where she would be able to make her entrance.

She entered the hall where a case of grand stairs led to the ball room. She spotted her attendant at the bottom of the stairs chatting away with one of her guards. Also in a very flirtatious manner.

Midna snorted. "So this was her _important_ task she had to get to." It mattered not to her. She would get Sylvia back. Her lips curled up in a sly smile thinking of the ways how she could get her back.

The guard who was with Sylvia noticed Midna at the top of the stairs. She was only slightly visible by the angle he was positioned at, so the other people that arrived at this opening could not see that she was present as well.

His eyes widened as he leaned over to whisper in Sylvia's ear. Her face lit up as she looked back in Midna's direction. She faced towards the crowd of Twilits and raised her hand to silenced them. Gradually everyone quieted down waiting for her to speak.

Considering the drastic decrease in the volume, there had to been a lot of people invited to this "celebration".

"People of Twilight," she began. "I have gathered you here for a purpose. We have gone through difficult times in the past barely escaping the grips of the evil Zant and Ganondorf. Our people would have gravely perished if it weren't for the bravery of our Princess and the hero of Light, the one chosen by the Gods. Today is the one year anniversary of us being free and in peace at last."

Midna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when she heard this. It has been over a year since she came back from the light world. Realization then swept her. In Twilight, the day lasted longer and the years were more in length than of the light world.

"It is also," she continued, "the anniversary of our beloved Princess' birth," she said with a hint of excitement.

She had completely forgotten that today was her birthday. Two celebrations in one day. Now wonder Sylvia was so secretive about everything.

The people glowed vibrantly in applause as she descended down the stairs elegantly. The skirts of her gown gracefully flowed behind her as the people gasped in awe. Midna was very shocked seeing how many people showed up on this occasion, but she didn't show a glimpse of emotion on her face. There were a couple of male Twilits among the crowd that she didn't recognize. Perhaps one of these was supposed the person she was supposed to see.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, every person bowed low before her. She waited for a moment before she motioned everyone to stand again. All eyes were focused on her, ready to listen intently for what words she had to say.

"People of Twilight, it is a pleasant surprise to see may beloved people to remember such a day that we received our freedom and celebrating the day of my as well. It warms my heart that we can be a tranquil race once again without any worries. We must praise the Goddesses that have blessed us, and the Moon that has kept this land safe."

The moon was also a very important to the Twilits. It was considered as the ruler of the night, and first ruler of the Twilight. The greatest and most respectable Twilits went up to join the Moon to rule the night. The Twilits actually had a much longer life span that the dwellers of the light world.

"Let us be elated on this day of commemoration and fell free to take part of all the festivities." she broke into a compassionate smile as the people glowed and cheered loudly after her speech.

Music began to play as food from the kitchen was brought out. She calmly walked over to her throne and sat down. She watched as her people were scattered everywhere talking, dancing, and enjoying themselves. She looked to her left and saw an empty chair that was decorated in similar designs to the one she was sitting on. It was the throne for the king. Her mother had only one child and died soon after that. Her father had no interest in finding another wife for he was too devastated by her death. He took care of his daughter to his vest ability until she was thirteen, then he drove himself to insanity and was relieved from the throne. Then he died of grief a couple of months later. Midna was forced to learn all of the ancient ways and laws in order to rule Twilight as soon as possible. She began ruling at the age of sixteen. Many were skeptical at first, but soon grew to accept her when she calmly saved her people from an infectious disease that swept the land. She learned many techniques in healing, defensive, and offensive arts. Midna is truly one of the best rulers that they've had since King Xemnar himself.

Sad thoughts drifted back to Link as she pictured him sitting next to her next to her in that chair. How she would love to spend the rest of her life with him in rule of Twilight. There was no hope for to see him again, or even have him feel the same way as her. She saw the way he looked at the Light Princess when she was saved from Ganondorf. She supposed she would have to be happy for him, for there was no other way. At least she was a good choice. She had a great love and respect for her people as well. Link would be a wonderful match for her, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealously.

Her daydream was broken by Sylvia who walked up to her.

"So, how was the surprise?" she asked.

"You are most devious, Sylvia. I didn't suspect a thing!"

"That was the point, Your Majesty."

"You usually can never hide anything from me. How did you manage to plan this out?"

"Well, I've learned to be snide by your frivolous behavior when you were a child."

Midna laughed loudly. "And you said all of those jokes would just cause trouble. Looks like someone actually learned from it."

She nodded and changed the subject. "You should see the cake, Your Highness. It's a sight to see. It will be brought out in a few minutes."

As if on cue, two people brought out a massive cake decorated in a realistic and authentic style. It was sculpted in the shape of her palace resting on layers of cake. It was in the exact replica of her manor and the detail was astounding. They were impressing her more and more each passing moment. It was big enough to feed hundreds of people.

She cleared her throat. "And how much time to take to create this colossal dessert?"

The main chef spoke up first, "Time was of no matter for you, Princess. Please, enjoy the first piece!" He handed her a large silver knife.

She brought it to the cake hesitantly. "It's too beautiful to be consumed."

"No, no, no. it was created to be eaten. What is the point of the desert then?"

She agreed to what he said and cut the first piece. It had a rich vanilla flavor that was smooth. She praised him with approval as chefs started passing out the dessert to everyone in the crowd. Additional cakes were brought out in case of they ran out. She walked back to her chair and sat down. Sylvia once again stood next to her.

"The man you are supposed to meet should be here once everyone is fed," she said quietly.

She had forgotten why she was forced to come here in the first place. "Thank you, for reminding me to escape," she said irritably.

"I heard he was quite the looker."

"As were the others, but after minutes of talking to them, they were nothing but savage, disgusting, and arrogant fools that made me fell like it's a disgrace to be called a Twilit."

She whistled lowly. "Temper, Your Majesty. Perhaps this one will be different."

"We shall see. I may have promised to meet him, but I will not hesitate to have him thrown out."

Shortly after, everyone finished eating and started to dance with their partners to the soft music. She smiled sorrowfully at the couples who were obviously in love with each other. During the middle of the dance, the main door opened widely. A figure was at the entrance. The couples stopped what they were doing and stared at the person. The music also slowed to a stop as he started walking towards Midna. He ignored all of the whispers. She could here gasps of how handsome he was and she was curious to see his face for herself.

"That's him!" Sylvia whispered eagerly.

He walked up to her and bowed low on one knee without making any eye contact so that she couldn't see his face just yet. She gave him permission to rise, and he did so. Their eyes finally met as she experienced the familiar tingling on her spine. Staring intently at her were those cold blue eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

I am dreadfully sorry that I took so long to update my story. Forgive me. I was gone in Jamaica longer than expected, and immediately searched for a job to help pay for college. So I was extremely busy and was forced to put my story on a hiatus. But fear not! I have once again been struck with inspiration, and hope many of you will find it pleasing to read. Enjoy.

Chapter 5

Midna shivered slightly. The man gracefully descended on a knee, and looked up at her with those cold blue eyes. He wore a black formal attire that was adorned in twilit symbols, and added a finishing touch of a cape. The black that he wore brought out his blue eyes even more. He gently took her hand and brushed a kiss on her silky skin, never letting go of eye contact. The crowd shifted uncomfortably in silence waiting for their princess' response. She was much too shocked in her mind, but didn't let an ounce of emotion betray her face. She hadn't expected someone this regal to be the one who tried to make her swoon over him. Not to mention his face was unfamiliar to the kingdom. Midna was the princess of all Twilight. Surely she should have seen him at least once in her lifetime, but then again, she was still a very young ruler and had much more to unveil in her ruling. But still, for some odd reason, she felt like she had seen him before. Those face structures, and those icy eyes. He was well built, which was uncommon in twili men. They were often long and lean.

"You may arise." she spoke in an authoritative tone.

He got up slowly and bowed deeply. "I am honored to be present at this celebration. My name is Zentus."

An eyebrow raised over a red eye. "State your reason for being here, Zentus." Her voice was gentle, but her fire danced in her eyes.

He smiled lightly, and gestured toward the crowd that froze in their steps. "Why, what is a beautiful princess doing not dancing in a ball of her honor?" He then offered a hand towards her. "Would you honor me with a dance?"

Everyone was silent. She could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest. She glanced at Sylvia. Her eyes were wide and she smiled. She tilted her head at the Twilit man urging her to accept his offer.

Midna forced herself into a fake smile. "I will accept your offer," she gently placed her fingertips on the palm of his hand. "It would indeed be your honor. Just try to keep up." A sly grin replaced the once gentle smile on her lips. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Sylvia covered her face with her hand. She should have known Midna would have said something similar to that. But the crowd gasped and whispered to each other. Never have they seen their princess take up on a gentlemen's offer to dance. Much less talk to them more than five seconds.

He led her in the middle of the dance floor as the crowd moved behind to give them much room as possible. Midna had danced many times, and was quite talented in the area. And she was not going to hold back at all. If he wanted to dance with the Princess of Twilight, he certainly better be able to keep up. She was in no mood to be gentle and heartwarming. The music started off slow as he bowed toward her and she gracefully curtsied in return. He took one hand gently and placed the other at her hip. She stared into his blue eyes; they showed confidence and no weakness whatsoever. They moved gracefully to the music as their eyes never left each other. He was a puzzling man really, appearing out of nowhere, and somehow managed to get her to dance with him. Everyone knew Midna was the best dancer and Twilight and no one dared to ask her to dance in fear of making a fool of themselves. And the song that was playing was her favorite dance, and she was very, very good at it.

As the dance's tempo sped up, their dancing took off to another level. Twists and turns captivated the audience as they gracefully flew across the dance floor. Her skirts billowed and swept across her body as the fluid motions of her hips swerved against his. He looked down and back up smiling as he danced faster. He took her the arm and spun her outward and whirled her back into his body as they continued to dance difficult steps. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He was a surprisingly good dancer.

All of a sudden, teal colored sparks surrounded them as the danced to the music. Some of the sparks settled on her skin, giving her a beautiful glow, but most stayed in the air. She could feel the wisps of magic on her skin when they touched her. It tingled, but in a very pleasurable way.

She inhaled sharply at the touch of the magic. "What are you doing?" She whispered breathlessly.

He smiled coolly, "Just keeping up."

So, he wanted to play it that way. Well, she had more than a few tricks up her sleeve than just dancing well. Her hand gripped his shoulder tightly as he pulled her closer to his waist elegantly stepping to the rhythm. As the climax of the song grew near, they separated and danced to the opposite ends of the floor. Midna then glided toward him and leapt fearlessly. He caught her with his strong arms lifting her up as if she was an elegant swan in midair. People gasped with awe. He spun her slowly then finally lowered her down. They met eyes once again for a split second, and then broke contact when she turned around so that her back was facing Zentus. He took that as a signal to hold her hips tightly.

Right when he touched her, Midna's body radiated a cool blue light. It was his turn to inhale air sharply. She smirked at his reaction and turned her face toward her right shoulder as her waist flowed seductively with her arms. Their hips swerved fiercely at the high points of the dance. Just when the music was about to finish, Zentus held her waist with a firm grip as she dipped so that her back was arched back away from him as her arm went over her head as one leg went up with her arched body. They held the last pose for a moment then he finally helped her back into a standing position.

The people went wild. They cheered and glowed furiously at the wonderful and seductive dance. They both were out of breath as they met eye contact. Beads of sweat ran from their neck.

"You are the most alluring dancer I have ever seen, Princess," he said after he caught his breath.

"And you have managed to surprise me with your dancing skills. I underestimated you."

"It's perfectly understandable, Princess. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you, and to dance with you." He bowed deeply and kissed her hand once again. "Till next time." he have her one more look of his icy eyes and turned around walking towards the door that led outside of the castle. His cape flicked at the air as he walked swiftly.

Midna still held her gaze even though he was gone. The music had once begun to play as couples danced away. Sylvia came up to her and grinned.

"I _told_ you that you would like him." she said in a know-it-all voice.

"I do not like him. I just danced with him is all."

She scoffed loudly. "You looked like you were having the time of your life! I have never seen you dance with so much passion. You were really enjoying yourself."

Midna sighed. "I just wanted to see if he could dance is all. If he was different from the others."

Sylvia nudged at her ribs a little. "He is certainly more handsome than the others," she said while winking.

"Sylvia!"

"What? It is true, Highness. You should of seen the way the girls were reacting. They were smitten with his looks. I could of sworn I saw their skin turn green with envy when you were dancing with him."

She hated to admit, that Zentus was far one of the most handsome Twili men she has ever seen. But she dared not admit it to Sylvia. The only one who was more attractive than him was her beloved hero from the world of light.

"You don't think so?"

"Believe me, Sylvia. I have laid my eyes on much better."

"You are exasperating Midna, I swear. Many girls would die to be in your position.

_"Yes, but many girls wouldn't die just to see their only love," _she thought. "What, to be flaunted over any male that sees her and being an item of lust just to gain power and riches? I could never love someone like that, much less marry at first sight. I have no time for silly games."

"But you could grow to like him."

"I don't want to 'grow' to like him. I want to like someone who is genuine and cares for me as well as I care for my people. I am not going to throw away the land of Twilight for a power hungry fool. Therefore love is not for me. At least not at this time."

"Well, I just think you're stubborn."

Midna cleared her throat. "I am not stubborn. I'm just not interested in it is all."

"At least admit he's handsome."

"Fine. He is easy to look upon. Are you pleased now?"

"Delighted," she said with sarcasm.

"I'm going to my study room. I need to clear my mind of certain things."

"But Princess, this celebration is in your honor. You should…"

"I said I'm going to clear my mind. I have been absent from my people before, another hour or so will not kill them."

"But…"

Midna gave her a death look, and she immediately shut her mouth.

"Yes your Highness."

She smiled innocently. "Good. I shall see that you will cover for me?"

"Of course Princess, no one will ever know you're missing."

She smiled and slowly disintegrated, vanishing into thin air. Shortly after, she appeared at her study room. It was a vast room, with shelves that contained books that decorated the walls. They were at least fifty feet tall easily. An ebony desk sat in the heart of the room furnished with turquoise twilit designs. She sat down on her chair and exhaled deeply with her eyes closed and rubbing her temples. There was so much on her mind right now. Her feelings were like torrents of an angry storm. Who was this "Zentus" character anyway? Why come now, and why hasn't she seen him before? It infuriated her that she was thinking about him, but she couldn't help it. His face seemed to be stuck in her head and wouldn't get out. A flashback of them dancing came to her. He was… a very skilled dancer. Never has she seen a better dancer. And what he did when the air sparkled around them. The feeling was horribly erotic. Midna shuddered as she tried to shake off the feeling.

Her head rested on her arms. She was all dressed up for nothing. Just an icon of royalty trying to please her people. What she really desired was for Link to somehow be here. Somehow be able to embrace her, touch her, and kiss her. She would never see his smiling face ever again, feel the warmth of his skin, smell the scent of his clothes, or even feel protected by his presence. Never again. The people of Twilight also expected their princess to fall in love with a twili being. How would they react to their ruler falling in love with a being of the light? They would undoubtedly shun her.

Wishing to dismiss her thoughts, she waved her hand and a random book from the top of one of the shelves slowly floated down to her hand. It was a rather old book and was worn out with age. She grabbed it and started reading to calm her mind from her thoughts. The title of the book read "The Distance Past of Twilight". She raised an eyebrow and opened it. She never noticed this book before. After all, there were countless numbers of books that rested in her study room. She began reading about the history of her land. How they were once a people that dwelled in the light world. Of course she knew very well of her people's past of being sorcerers and trying to seize control of the sacred realm. They were banished to the twilight realm many centuries ago. It said that they have evolved from their original form to a unique, black and white race. She flipped through the pages with disinterest. But then a sentence caught her eye. It read, _"There is another way to grant them access into the light world"_. Her eyes widened as she continued reading on.

_"As the sorcerers were banished into the limbo of the realm of twilight, many had gone mad in the soundless world of oblivion. As time passed on, many thought about what they have done and sought to repent them of their evil ways, and beg the goddesses' forgiveness. After much observation of the people and seeing that they were no longer evil, they let them slowly evolve to adapt to their surroundings. Along with the knowledge of being able to live in this realm and allowing them to flourish their race once again. Decades later, the Goddesses decided to bestow them a gift: the Mirror of Twilight. This powerful object of magic would allow the twili the ability to see what was going on in the light world."_

She read with a faster pace. She already knew all of this.

_"But in case the Mirror of Twilight would somehow be destroyed, there is another way to grant them access into the light world. It would be somewhat rather risky to those who do not have the potentiality of the correct magic in order to fulfill the spell. In result of failure would be agonizing torture that would take place for eternity. Precede with caution, do not attempt unless of absolute necessity. The other way of entering the light world without the Mirror of Twilight…"_

She quickly turned the page.

"_By which the weapons were formed with an ancient form of magic passed on from many generations…"_

"What?!" she yelled out. She flipped back to the page that she was reading, and then to the next page. It couldn't be possible. Somehow the next page was a totally different subject, which was impossible seeing that it was the _next_ page and could not have been ripped out. Her face drew closer to the page and ran her fingertips on it. She smirked at the feel of it. It was magic that concealed the book's true words. She placed her hand on the page in order dispel the magic that was cast on it before. As soon as her hand emitted a blue light, the book burst into flames.

"Curses!" she shouted as she dropped the book. Out of reflex, she fanned her hands in the air rapidly to relieve pain. She put out the fire quickly with a spell and inspected the damage that was done. It was completely ruined. The book was so old, that it burned quickly. Whoever had read the book first obviously didn't want anyone to find out the other to go to the light world.

Her last bit of hope vanished. She was so close, yet so far away. She cursed at the fact for having to destroying the mirror. Of course, she didn't want to destroy it. It was for the safety for her own people, and the dwellers of light. There could be countless people out there that could have the same ideas of Zant. Could have it been possible that it was him who found the book before, and put the spell on it?

Her teeth clenched at the sound of his name. She could still hear the disturbing sound of his laughter in her head. And those eyes pierced through her every time they came in contact with her. Her anger built as she thought of the time when he cast that dreadful curse causing her to be a helpless imp while she could only watch her kingdom being taken over. She could remember that day all too well.

She was out gazing on her balcony during the dusk of the day. It was such a beautiful night and she was having a good day. For once, Zant hadn't bothered her all day. His footsteps were heard behind her and she cringed when he reached out and touched her shoulder.

"My dearest Princess Midna, we could rule this whole kingdom together."

"Get your filthy hand off of me," she hissed.

He didn't remove his hand at all. He just smiled wickedly. "Marry me, and you will be the Queen of Twilight."

"You have asked me once, and my answer remains the same. Over my lifeless body." Her eyes were lethal.

"Do you not realize that we could rule for eternity side by side?"

She turned to face him and spat at his feet. "And make you the King of Twilight? You are mad."

"Combining your powers and mine, we would be immortal! We could envelope the light world in the precious shadows of darkness. We would become unstoppable!"

She glared viciously at him. "I will never touch those vile lips of yours. Or give you my kingdom."

Zant's eyes darkened. "You have no say in this Midna." He raised his hand to backhand her, but she easily stopped his hand in midair with her magic. He laughed maniacally. "You think your petty little magic is going to stop me? You are no longer the most powerful being in Twilight."

He broke away from her hold and struck her face. Her body twisted and landed on her side with a thud. The sheer shock of pain momentarily blinded her. Blood dripped down from her chin as she slowly got back onto her feet. She licked off the blood and grin maliciously.

"You have chosen the wrong day to mess with me. You will pay dearly for that."

"No Midna, it is you who are going to pay for your actions. You have denied my plans for our vengeance of the Goddesses have done to us. The world of Hyrule, their creation, is going to be _mine_."

He lunged at her with the new power of his magic. She easily sidestepped out of the way and countered with her own magic. She hurled a bluish liquid fire at him that did not miss. He howled in pain as he hunched over, clutching his stomach.

"You little wench!" He screamed.

Midna rested one hand on her hip and yawned delicately as if she was bored already.

"You underestimate me, Princess. Something you will regret for the rest of your life."

"Oh no! I'm trembling in my skin," she sneered sarcastically.

He instantly appeared two inches from her face. She looked surprised for a moment but didn't flinch. Then, he vanished and came from behind, jolting her body with some sort of lightening. Her body went into an uncontrollable spasm and then she collapsed on the floor. Her energy felt like it was sucked right out of her. She could barely even open her eyes to look at Zant. He lifted her up with his magic.

"Who's shaking in their skin now?" he said cruelly. He tossed her aside as if she was a feather. She stood up weakly and tried to bind him with her last bit of strength. He broke off the spell as if it he was walking through a cobweb. He walked slowly toward her and she raised her hands protectively taking while walking backwards.

"As I said before, you are no longer the most powerful being in Twilight," he said as he brought out his hand in front of him. Dark smoke emitted from his hand intertwining in the air. "My God gave me this glorious magic. He said I would be able to defeat you." He put his hands behind his back. "You see? I tried to make this easy for you. Offering my hand in marriage, but you had to be little miss noble." He looked at her dead in the eye. "Your pride is going to be your biggest mistake of your life." He thrust his hands in front of him as dark lightening emitted from his fingertips. There was no escape for her. She crossed her arms in front of her face defensively, but the magic consumed her.

She fell to her hands and knees as pain blossomed in her body. It was so excruciating, her vision was blurred. She looked at her hands. A horrified look swept over her face. They were small, infant-like hands. She turned her little black hands over to see if she was imagining things. She winced at the pain when she stood up. She took a look at her strange body. She had wide hips and short little legs. Her stomach bulged slightly and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Zant had prepared a mirror for her. How thoughtful of him, really. She shrieked when she saw her reflection staring back at her. Her hands went up to her face to see if it was real.

"Perhaps you being a useless little imp will help teach you how to be humble. Now, away with you!"

Her body started to disassemble into the familiar twilit squares. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was banished from her own castle.

Midna gave herself a mental reassurance that it was only the past. After all, it was the past. And she was the rightful, benevolent ruler of Twilight. However, being the ruler of Twilight wasn't exactly effortless as it would seem. Not only did her people expect her to their advisor for everything, she was also pressured in finding a husband. Or more specifically, their future king. It was burdensome task to bear on her shoulders. Plus, the only man she had any slight of interest in was in another realm.

She remembered her first thoughts of Link when she saw him being dragged away by those dreadful twilit monsters. How he morphed into the "divine beast" as the Gods called. She only saw him as a tool to get back her kingdom from Zant. And how she selfishly used him to gather the Fused Shadows. She managed to rescue one before Zant had separated them into their own hiding place. It also served as a stylish headdress in her opinion. She laughed softly remembering the faces Link gave her when she mocked him. It was a great amusement back then to see him struggle.

He often called her a mischievous little imp when he was in human form. He never questioned her demands no matter how ludicrous they sounded or how flippant she was. Slowly, during their quest together, she began to realize that he took saving Hyrule and the Twilight Realm a serious matter. Well, she already knew he was going to help, but she never thought that he would risk his own life for the sake of everyone's freedom.

What really shocked her was when Princess Zelda sacrificed her own life in order to heal her when she was in near in death. Midna touched where her heart was. She still sometimes feel the bond that she and Zelda once shared. It was that very moment that she understood that those two would do absolutely anything in order to protect the land of Hyrule. The look on Link's face was unforgettable when Zelda gave up her life. He obviously cared deeply for the princess, and it pained Midna to see him broken hearted. And the look they both shared when the three of them were at the Mirror Chamber. She gathered the courage to tell that she loved him before she was about to shatter the Mirror. "Link, I…" then she gave up when she didn't want to ruin the love between the Princess and her Hero then quickly said "I'll see you later." She could have sworn she saw a look of disappointment on his face when she finished her sentence. Tears started to well up in her eyes again.

She slammed her fist down on the desk. A few books fell from their home onto the ground. "Why won't the Goddesses grant me this one wish!" she screamed. Her voice lowered to an almost inaudible whisper. "All I want is to see him more time…"

Phew. Tis the end of the chapter. I know it's a bit rusty from not writing in a while, and it doesn't exceed the length of my last chapter, but I ran out of ideas. I really enjoyed writing the dance scene though? Did you like it? Till next time!


	7. Chapter 6

-1-1Author's note:: Hello everyone! Yes, I'm back. My deepest apologies that I was so late in updating. I just started college this semester, and let's just say that there was a lot of homework. Although some of you may not agree, homework is indeed more important than updating. laughs. But thank you for commenting on my story so far everyone! I really do appreciate it, the more the better! Almost 5000 hits! Thanks everyone!

And thanks to Patriot-of-USA, mazchri, matthew Christopher, lavitz92, akabane girl, moonxxdark, star jumper, anze'ke, LxI-LxM-4ever-formerly lillayy, forbiddenshadow, vexed, roland desagare, and souless nightmare.

I love getting all of the feedback! One more thing.. Sorry if you see any grammatical errors. I'm pretty exhausted right now and don't feel being nit-picky with everything.

Disclaimer:: I do not own twilight princess

Chapter 6

It was that dream again. It was that same exact dream that happened everyday and night. In the dream there were people that she did not recognize. They were people of a different race. They had pale blue skin and yellow red eyes. It was a place that wasn't of this land. It was a far different world than Hyrule.

Her long, elegant fingers gently tapped the arm of a dark purple chair. There was little or nothing to do on this dreadfully boring day. Some guards passed here and there, others were standing at the side of this beautiful young woman. She didn't understand why there were attendants rushing everywhere. There was absolutely nothing going on this day. So why was everybody in this castle bustling? If only there was something she could do to pass the time. Or perhaps even _someone_ she could see, but she had serious doubt that would ever happen. She scolded herself for even thinking of this, but she wished that something bad in Hyrule would happen. Nothing has happened since the attack of Ganondorf. Of course she was relieved that her land was safe from harm, ever since the day that Link saved Hyrule, no one had dared to cause any trouble.

"Princess Zelda!" Someone shouted thus interrupting her thoughts.

She raised her head to see a maid walking toward her with a fine gown. "Don't you think this color would look lovely when you take your monthly stroll?" She showed her an elegant gown that was lilac and white that was complimented in heavy gold accessories.

Zelda stared at her blankly for a moment. "Monthly stroll?"

She showed a slight sign of impatience. "Don't you remember Princess? You always insist on 'getting out of the palace' for fresh air. You always look forward to this day. After all, it is the only time that the royal court won't fuss over."

Zelda was silent for a few more moments. "Oh that's right. Silly me, forgetting my favorite event. That dress does look lovely, but wouldn't you agree that it seems a bit too fancy for just a regular walk?"

The maid scrunched her nose. "I suppose so…"

"It's a wonderful choice of colors, but I don't need to wear so much gold. And it could be a simpler pattern as well."

"Yes Your Highness." She rushed back to the room where she could bark out directions for a brand new dress.

Zelda rubbed her temples. How could she have forgotten about one of her favorite pastimes? She was completely out of it. Usually she would be one reminding everyone that she was going out. Of course lack of sleep didn't help much either. Lately she had a lot of trouble sleeping at night. She was physically and mentally tired, but for some reason she couldn't fall asleep no matter what. There was just something inside of her that felt uncomfortable. It felt like a longing of some sort. Something that was desired so much, but knew it could never happen. It was an odd feeling.

Ever since the day that Midna left, she often felt things that she never felt before. Different emotions and different levels of stress that wasn't explainable. She often wondered if it had to do something when she and Midna were one in soul. Unfortunately, she had no way of contacting her to ask of such things. She was well aware of Link and Midna's personal relationship. The feelings that they shared for one another. She could see that it was growing as their time together progressed, and it grew even stronger when she sacrificed herself for the dying imp. Then it was blatantly obvious when she saw Link's reaction and Midna's tears before the mirror was completely destroyed.

She had feelings for Link once before, but it grew short after she realized that he had love for Midna. Not only that, she barely knew him. She had never heard of him before until he showed up as the divine beast and being chosen from the Goddesses themselves. So she was uncertain why she had these feelings of longing. She would spend hours lying awake in bed trying to drift to sleep, but had no success at all. The lack of sleep really took a toll on her. She was completely unaware of her surroundings and didn't have an appetite whatsoever.

Little by little, the royal seamstresses had to make her gowns thinner in width. She was losing weight because of the lack of food. She glanced at a hand mirror next to her. She could hardly recognize herself. Icy eyes surrounded by pale skin looked back at her. She lost her healthy pink glow a while back ago. Her face was slightly sunken in as her cheekbones jutted out. She needed to start eating soon otherwise things could start getting dangerous. She laid her hand on her chest where her heart was supposed to be. The pain was back again. She questioned if things back in the Twilight Realm was going smoothly.

---

Link and his little fairy companion were returned to the place that the illusion took place. The cold, damp cave didn't emit much light except for the group of red fairies swaying in the air.

"That was some illusion wasn't it?" Shai rubbed her left arm for warmth despite of the mild temperature.

Link grunted his response. He was clearly not in the mood for talk at that moment. Shai clicked her tongue trying to think of something to say in order to break the silence. Before she could think of something, the group of red fairies flew over to Link to bid him farewell. She glared at them making sure that none of them would touch him.

"Please oh Hero chosen by the Goddesses, be cautious on your journey. Only the Goddesses themselves know how it's going to end," one of them said. Upon hearing that, Link dipped his head in a short bow before walking out of the cave.

It was a bright day outside and the water reflected light that glistened like diamonds. The little fairy on Link's shoulders beamed and stretched her arms welcoming the warmth. She ran a hand through her short choppy hair and sat in a more comfortable position on his shoulder.

"Ah! It's such a fine day with lovely weather. I could just lay in this sun forever!" she exclaimed. When Link didn't say a word she began to frown. "Link, where are we headed to?"

"We're going to Hyrule market. I need to go see someone."

"Oh… well, are you okay? You're different from before and your aura is weak."

He didn't say anything.

"It's from that illusion isn't it? The one with the darker form of yourself?"

A deep breath was let out. "Yes, that's the main thing that's worrying me. Before I never knew he even existed. But now after that weird illusion that Farore gave me, it's like I can feel him." He pointed to his heart, "Right inside here. I don't feel drastically different, but it's an unusual feeling."

"Do you think it's something to be worried about?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I'm hoping that this is all in my head."

"From all of the hallucinations that has been happening, that could be possible," she said with a smile.

"Yeah you're right. I'm not going to worry about it now. All I want to do is get to Hyrule market and find out what to do next."

"You mean you don't know where to go?"

"Well considering that the only portal for the Twilight Realm was destroyed."

"Oh right, I forgot about that."

Link smiled and continued walking toward the cannon in the middle of Lake Hylia. When they arrived at the monstrous cannon, they were greeted by another clown.

"Hello, I see we have another customer today! And a small little pixie friend. Isn't she cute?" He smiled at her gently, but with the thick clown makeup plastered on his face, Shai's eyes widened at the sight of him and dove for cover underneath Link's hat. He laughed hard as he slapped his knee. "Cute little thing, ain't she?"

Link let out a small laugh out of politeness. "You know, if you didn't have on such a ridiculous attire, maybe you would have more customers."

The short man was wearing a small jacket of some sort that was much too small for him and stopped at his mid stomach. A shirt wasn't worn underneath and he had on the same balloon pants that his partner was wearing. "Yeah I wish. It's not my fault though. If it wasn't for my family, I wouldn't be wearing this outfit. And at least I don't enjoy it like that guy up there," he pointed to the deck where his partner was. "Well what will it be? A trip to the top or a trip to the desert?"

"Just a trip to the top."

"All righty then. This one's on me since you're such a loyal customer."

Link smiled his thanks and stepped in the cannon. Moments later he was blasted to the top. He quickly got out of the chicken filled shack. Shai poked her head out of his hat to see if they were away from the clown. When she saw it was safe, she stepped out of her hiding place and sat comfortably in her usual sitting spot.

"Finally we're away from those guys. They're scary and gross and ugly and creepy. I don't like them."

"So I take it that you don't like them do you?" he said with slight sarcasm.

"Wow, you're smart for a human." Shai giggled.

"Midna didn't care for them either. We always warped everywhere and never have I been so thankful that I didn't have to encounter those guys."

"I don't blame you at all, but can we hurry up and get away from that place? I still can feel his look on me. Plus I've often heard that Hyrule was a busy place lots to see."

"Okay we'll look around, but I don't want to spend too much time over there. I want to talk to the person I'm meeting as soon as possible." He took out a strange whistle and began playing a song. An eerie but familiar song lingered in the wind when he stopped blowing. A horse's neigh was heard from afar. Shortly after, a rust colored mare galloped toward him and slowed down to a stop.

"Hello there girl," he said softly while stroking her neck. He climbed on top of her and told Shai to hang on tight. After around fifteen minutes of riding, Hyrule castle was in sight. The fairy bounced up and down with excitement as she told Link to go faster. He gently urged Epona to go faster. When they arrived at the gate, he hopped down and gave Epona a carrot. The horse neighed softly as she munched on the carrot. He gave a good scratch on her neck before telling her that she was free to go.

"Come on Hero! Let's go!" she said with anticipation.

"Alright alright. Just give me a minute."

He dusted off his clothes and adjusted his rucksack. But before he could take one step, an annoying voice shouted at him.

"Hey-y-y-y-y-y!" It dragged on as a skinny postman jogged toward him. He wiped his brow before handing him a letter. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Link. Here is a special letter delivered to you by the courtesy of your local postman."

"Thanks," Link mumbled watching him as he took off looking for his next customer.

"Gosh, Hyrule is filled with so many strange people." Shai said still watching the strange man run. Her attention focused on the letter that was still in Link's hand. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!"

"I will, just be patient for a minute." He examined the letter with care, turning the letter over.

She let out an impatient sigh. "Heroes and their need to overanalyze everything."

The envelope was a vanilla color with no writing indicating who it was from. On the back was a wax seal that was a deep red in color. Pressed into the seal was a stamp of the moon and a circle of stars around it.

"I have never seen a seal like this before. What do you suppose this means?" Link said talking more to himself.

"Maybe that the person who sent this likes celestial bodies?"

"I was being serious."

"So was I…" she muttered.

He carefully broke the seal and gently pulled out the letter. His eyes widened as they skimmed the note quickly.

"_The key lies in the Moon."_

The fairy crossed her arms. "That person sent a perfectly good letter, and all it says is that stupid sentence? What a waste of paper!"

"Shai, calm down for a second."

Link read the sentence over and over again. It was just a simple sentence. Nothing more and nothing less. In fact, it didn't even have the name of the person who sent it. It didn't even have his own name indicating that it was supposed to be sent to him. How did the postman know it was for him if there was no writing on the letter?

"I need to find out what this means. This could be important."

The fairy read over the sentence and scratched her head. "Well, seeing that I have never been in Hyrule other than Ordon Springs, I have no clue. Let's just ask around in the market. Maybe we'll run into that weird postman again."

"Yeah, I suppose that would be the best idea."

Epona neighed her goodbye as she trotted toward a stream. Link walked toward the castle as Shai punched the air with her fists. She was ready to burst with enthusiasm.

"Alright! Finally I get to see the market!"

People were running around all over as they entered the place. Hawkers barked out their wares insisting that it was the "best deal you could get". People crowded around different booths trying to sample the latest breads, pastries, and cakes. The energy that radiated the place was indescribable. Even though Link wasn't in the greatest of moods, he couldn't help but smile and feel light spirited as he walked past all of the people.

"Hey you! Young man in the green!"

Shai tugged on his earring. "I think that man is talking to you."

Link walked over to the man and his stand.

"You look like you're a fine young man in search of love. Why, we offer the latest love potions that are guaranteed to make any woman of your choice to fall head over heels for you."

"Um, no thank you."

"Wait wait! We also offer incredible healing potions that will heal any type of wound guaranteed or your money back! They are made from the precious water of fairy springs!"

"I'll take a small bottle please."

"Great, that'll be ten rupees."

He searched around his pocket until he pulled out two blue rupees. The man gave the small bottle to him and fingered the money greedily.

"Pleasure doing business with you young lad!"

Link waved and started to walk. He popped open the bottle and took Shai in his free hand.

"Hero, what are you doing?"

"I bought this potion for you. I hope this works. Normally you're supposed to drink this, but it works much faster if you pour it directly onto the wound. She turned around and spread her wings as much as she could. He slowly poured the liquid on her wings. She sighed softly with relief. The potion trickled down her wings onto her back making her glisten in the sun.

"Thank you Hero, I feel much better. The pain in my wings is completely gone. I think I might even be able to fly now!"

She fluttered her wings cautiously. Seeing that she there was no immense pain when she moved them, she took flight completely.

"Yay! I can fly again!" She flew around Link a few times before finally landing on his nose. Her wings enveloped her body her body as she hugged them. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much I've missed my wings. A fairy is nothing without them."

Her wings carried her in the air as she happily absorbed all of the energy that the market emitted. "Oh look at that! Wow that looks so pretty!" She shot back and forth looking at all of the trinkets that were displayed.

"Make sure you stay close to me so that you won't get left behind."

She paid no attention as she fluttered past an ice cream stand. Someone accidentally swatted her out of the air and she plummeted into a glass of an ice cream sundae. Link saw what happened and ran to the booth.

"Shai, are you alright?" he said.

"May I ask you why you are talking to a glass?" said the woman who owned the stand.

"Yes, my fairy fell into your glass."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him oddly. "Sir, as you can clearly see, there is only ice cream, whip cream, and a cherry in that glass."

Shai's head then popped out from the top. Whip cream and the cherry was on her head as she looked around. She tried to pull herself out of the tasty frozen treat but fell back down. Link saw a spoon and scooped her out easily. She sat on the spoon with her arms crossed looking annoyed.

The owner laughed light-heartedly. "What a delightful fairy! I'll give a sundae on the house. And here's a glass of warm water and a rag for her to clean herself with."

"Thank you Ma'am."

Shai grabbed the cherry off her head and held it with two hands. "I'll save this for later." she mumbled as she grabbed the rag. After getting off most of the whip cream, she held her nose and plunged into the glass of water. She then climbed out and flew around to get rid of the excess water.

"Here's your sundae, kid. You take care now!"

He thanked her politely and called for his fairy. She snatched the cherry and flew to his shoulder to devour her treat.

"You know, you really shouldn't go off like that. You could've gotten hurt. Are you listening?"

She let out a muffled answer before she went back to eating her fruit. Link sighed and continued walking, shoving past the shouting people who were in disorganized lines.

"This place hasn't changed at all."

"What do you mean Hero?"

"I haven't been in the market since Midna left. In fact, I haven't been to much of nowhere lately. Just my little village and Hyrule Field with Epona."

"It's a wonder that no one was worried about you."

Link shook his head. "No, I was just a typical farm boy in a village before I was known as a "hero". Now, I am still a typical farm boy. I returned the Master Sword to it's rightful place. People disregard me as their hero now. I am just an average person."

"That doesn't bother you at all?"

"No, not really. I'm content that everyone is safe from evil now."

"You're so humble," she laughed softly. "Was there a party thrown in your honor?"

"If there was, I didn't attend it. I'm not much of a party person. I prefer the tranquility of my woods."

Before Shai could ask another question, a man grabbed Link's arm. "You young, Sir! Come and try the amazing Madame Fanadi! She has amazing talents is able to foresee the future! Perhaps you are interested what your love life will bring?"

"No thank you, I'm not really interested---"

"Nonsense! You will not be disappointed!"

The man literally pushed Link in the house where he was greeted by an overweight woman dressed in gypsy attire. She had many piercing in her ears and was covered with heavy makeup. An odd tattoo in shape of a key was on her forehead. She was surrounded by curtains that draped along the walls. A shelf featured books sprawled all over with ancient writing. Strange sparkles glistened and chimed like bells around her crystal ball.

"Hello young man, what might I predict for you today? The fates swiiiiirl about you, and only I can tell what they have in stoooore… the door to the future will ooopen …for ten rupees."

"This is just a mistake. The man out there pushed me---"

"He would like a glimpse of his love life, ma'am." Shai interrupted.

"Shai!"

She shushed him and smiled at the lady.

"A good-looking young man like you needs to see how his love life is? What is the world coming to these days? I bet you have every girl swooning over your handsome face. But very well. That will be ten rupees please."

Link sighed and dug in his pocket two blue rupees. He handed the blues rupee to the fortuneteller which put it in a chest next to her crystal ball.

"I will shoooow you the shape of love you haven't even recognized… speak fates! Elihwa sekat gnidaol…tiaw…!" she exclaimed. Distorted features swept over her face. Her eyes squinted as she looked into her crystal ball. "I've never seen anything like this. It's not clear at all. I see a great amount of happiness towards the one you love right now. The energy of love is beaming out of my ball. But then, I see a vast amount of sadness and angst. It overcomes the feelings of happiness with ease. There is so much, I can't even comprehend it." A single tear fell from her cheek. "My only advice for you is that you forget about whoever you love right now. It will be the death of you eventually."

Link was silent for a long time. Shai looked up with worry at him. "I want my money back." he said softly.

"Excuse me?"

He cleared his throat. "I said I want my money back."

"But…"

"You're prediction isn't true. I know for a fact that I will never see the person I love again. I have searched and searched for ways to find her. Don't you think if it was possible to be with her, I would be with her right now? I will never be happy when it comes to love. You can't even begin to comprehend what I'm going through. What she's going through. We will never be together again. Ever." Link had to stop talking otherwise he would lose control over his emotions.

She silently handed over his ten rupees. As he reached for it, she laid a palm on his hand. "I'm sorry for your lost."

Link just nodded in fear to test his voice. He briskly walked out nearly ran into the man who pushed him into the medium's house. He mumbled an apology and made no eye contact

"It's alright. So, did you like your fortune?" the man asked.

He did not respond and continued walking. Shai shot an evil glance at him and started to consol Link.

"Hero, that lady was a fraud. She doesn't know what she's talking about. For heaven's sake, her 'wait… loading takes a while' backwards. You will not die from despair and grief. Heroes like you always get a happy ending."

Link smiled slightly. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, but for now, I would like not to worry about insignificant feelings right now. Let me just talk to Princess Zelda. Then I'll know where to go from there."

"Okay then. Let's go! I wonder if she's as pretty as everyone says she is."

Link stooped down to adjust his old boots. They were so old and beat up from all of his previous adventures. He really needed to get some new shoes, but he hated the thought of departing from his old comfortable leather boots. When he straightened back up, he was greeted by three girls. Each had an unnatural colored hair of a dazzling blue, a fiery red color, and a bright green. They looked at him with infatuation and giggled amongst each other. The girl with red hair boldly touched his arm and squealed.

"Oh my gosh! I actually touched him! I'm never going to wash this hand ever again!" she shouted.

"Umm, may I help you ladies?"

All three of them shrieked as one with blue hair dramatically fainted. "He's actually _speaking _to us!" The one with green hair screamed.

They awakened their fainted friend and took off. As they ran, they fought amongst themselves who exactly Link responded to.

Shai stared at them with wide eyes. "Those were really weird girls."

"Yeah they are. Those same girls have followed me around ever since I won the STAR game. It's always the same thing. They follow me and when I approach them, they take off squealing. It's rather annoying."

"Well maybe you can wear a mask to hide your face."

"Sure, let me go to the Happy Mask's Salesman to buy a mask," he said sarcastically.

"Is there even such a person like that?"

"What? Oh, I don't know. I was just making something off the top of my head."

"Oh, okay then," she laughed. "So how far is this Hyrule castle?"

"We should be there in a few moments. Here is the fountain that's in the center of the market. It's just over there."

"I see it! Let's hurry! I want to meet the Princess!"

He sped up to a swift jog speeding past people who looked curiously at him. He pushed his way around the people and came to the bridge and it's massive doors.

"Hyrule castle is just beyond this entrance," he said.

Link pushed the colossal door and crept inside. There was a light drizzle and the place was surrounded by lush green grass and trees.

"Wow, this place is so big!" she said with awe.

"Just wait till we go inside," Link smiled.

Two guards were stationed at the bottom of the marble stairs. Link passed them without any thought when a booming voice stopped him.

"Halt! Stay where you are!" a guard yelled

He stopped abruptly and turned around to face the guards. "Is there a problem here?" he asked calmly

"Yes, there is a problem, and the problem is you! No one is allowed to enter the palace without permission or and invite."

"I'm here to talk to the Princess about something important."

"What could be so important that it doesn't need an invitation from the princess herself?"

"I know Princess Zelda personally, and she can gladly inform you that she knows me as well."

"Yeah, and pigs fly. You will _not _pass through with that pathetic attempt of an excuse like that."

Link sighed and pinched the top of his nose. "Please, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to your position, but I really do need to talk to her. I promise you, we know each other personally."

The guard's face turned red. "Do I need to repeat myself?! You will not, I repeat, not enter this---"

"That is enough Charles," a female voice said sternly.

He turned angrily turned around and was about to yell at the person who interrupted him until he saw who it was. It was Princess Zelda accompanied by a maid holding an umbrella for her. The guards both deeply bowed and greeted her.

"Charles, this man speaks the truth. He and I know each other from previous visits. I will not have you talking to him rudely. You will address him with respect as if he was a king."

He bowed and apologized profusely to Link.

"From now on, this man will be welcomed here at all times."

"Yes Your Highness! If I may ask his name?"

She stared at him cold and hard for a moment before responding. "His name is Sir Link."

They both stood up straight and saluted.

"You may leave now, Claire." she said to her maid.

"But…"

"This is an important matter. I will be safe from harm. This man is skilled with a blade."

"If you insist. If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."

She nodded and the maid walked away. "Please Link, come with me."

He followed her in silence until they reached a smaller courtyard that was serene and peaceful. There wasn't a person in sight. A small fountain of the three Goddesses was directly in the middle. It was a very calming and soothing place, a perfect environment to ease Link's nerves from the previous outburst. After seeing that they were alone, she flew into Link's arms. Not knowing whether to return her embrace, he just stood there and waited for her to release him.

"My apologies, I don't know what overcame me. I just haven't seen you in so long."

"It's quite fine, Princess."

"Is this Princess Zelda, Hero?" a small voice called out.

"Yes, this is her. Allow me to introduce my fairy. Her name is Shai."

"Please to meet you Princess." she curtsied.

"What a lovely creature! She's beautiful. Please call me Zelda. I prefer no titles addressed. Link, you look… a little worn out. What brings you here?"

"Can we sit first?"

Shai whispered something to Link then became quiet so that they could talk without any interruptions.

She nodded and walked over to the white marble bench and sat down. She gestured for Link to sit.

"The reason why I came to see you is because… I want to know more about the Twilight Realm."

"I see," she was quiet for a few moments before she began her next sentence. "You do know that she shattered the only portal to the Twilight Realm, right?"

"Yes, I was there with you when she did it. I have this feeling that there might be another way somehow, and I am willing to do anything to see her again. Anything." he said desperately.

Zelda paled when he finished his sentence. She touched his knee with her hand.

"There have been strange things that has been happening lately. I wanted to talk to you about this before, but I haven't seen you since the time when we saved Hyrule."

Link searched her eyes uneasily. "What kind of strange things?"

"I know this might sound childish, but I have been having these odd dreams. Actually, I think they might be illusions. But they have been bothering me."

It was Link's turn to pale. He swallowed before speaking. "I've been having weird dreams and illusions too. I don't know why I'm having them. Also, I heard my friend Ilia complaining about restless nights due to these haunting visions."

"I wonder if anyone else is suffering from this." Zelda thought out loud. "What types of dreams are they?"

"They are frightening. It always ends up with some type of death whether it's mine or someone else's. I haven't gotten a proper night of sleep in months." he looked away sadly.

"They're about her, yes?"

Link nodded.

"Mine are a bit different. It is a bit difficult to explain. When I have a dream or an illusion even, it's like I'm seeing through the eyes of another. Maybe through Midna's point of view. There are people who has fair blue skin and eyes that dance like fire. It's a bit blurry, but I can sometimes make out what's going on. One side effect that never fails is the feeling of grief that overcomes me when I regain consciousness. To put it into words, it's a feeling of… longing and want. Sometimes it's so powerful that I can't hold back my tears."

Link put his hand on her shoulder and brushed a single tear from her face. "You look like you could use a drink or something. Let's go to Telma's bar. It'll be my treat." he said with a slight smile.

Zelda smiled and gladly accepted.

---

The rain was pouring by the time they arrived at the bar. Their clothes were saturated from the brisk walk over to the saloon. Link took off his hat and squeezed the excess water. The few people that were there looked at the new arrivals.

"My, my, look what the cat dragged in. A young couple. Aren't you two a little too young for this place?" the bar owner asked.

Link put on his hat and glanced up at her.

"Oh my goodness, it's Link! I haven't seen you in so long! Come on over! Take a seat! Bring your friend too!"

With such urgency in her voice, he felt like he had to run up to her. Zelda ran along too and greeted the owner.

"My, if it isn't the Princess herself." She bowed deeply. "First it's Link, now it's the Princess. What brings you two to this part of town?"

"We were discussing some important matter and we just decided we needed a drink to relax our nerves." Link said.

"I wasn't aware that you drank Link. Since when did you start?"

"I'm not much of a heavy drinker, but I occasionally drink in order to forget things."

"Forget things? Why, you're way too young to want to forget things! Drinking for that purpose is wrong. You should drink to have a little fun once in a while, not to forget about troubles." While Zelda was looking at the different wine bottles, she put her hand to the side of her mouth and lowered her voice. "I'm guessing that is why you're here now? To have a little fun?" She winked and looked at the Princess.

"Oh no, nothing like that. We aren't together. In fact, we just met today after a year's of absence."

"Yes, I haven't seen you since that festival that was held around a year ago. Oh and what kind of drinks do you want?"

"I'll take a beer, please."

She looked over to Zelda.

"I'll have a glass of red wine."

Telma made the drinks quickly and gave them to her customers. Shai flew down to the counter and looked at the drinks curiously then flew over to Telma

"It's on the house." she smiled.

"Yo, Telma! We need three more beers!"

"Keep your britches on, I'm comin'!" she shouted. "I'll leave you two to chat." She winked and tended to her other customers.

He drank some of his beer and looked at Zelda. "So do you know the causes of these abnormal emotions you have?"

Zelda sipped her champagne and shook her head. "Wait, this may sound strange, but I don't think these are really dreams. After all, it seems like all of them are taking place at the Twilight Realm. The people I see are definitely not of Hyrule."

"So you're saying that you might possibly have the emotions that Midna feels?" Link raised his voice a little too loud.

She shushed him. "Quiet down! I don't want to start a scene."

Shai then flew back to the counter with a small thimble.

"What are you doing Shai?" Link asked.

"Oh nothing, you just don't worry about me."

He rolled his eyes and resumed his conversation. "How do you know that these are her feelings?"

"For one thing, these feelings of desire is directed to a person who is none other than you, Link."

Link spurted out his sip of beer all over the front counter. Shai looked at him oddly and Telma looked up from what she was doing and raised her eyebrow. He wiped the excess drink off of his lips and stared incredulously at Zelda.

"I'm glad that we didn't sit facing each other." she muttered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I would have gotten beer all over my new dress."

"No, I didn't mean that. I meant what did you mean about your feelings are directed to me?"

"Well, like I said before, it's very difficult to explain."

"These feelings that you have… you're not attracted to me are you?"

"No I am not. I am well aware of what that feels like. This is completely different."

A somewhat look of relief spread over his face. "Well, how do you think this is possible?"

"I believe it might be from when I sacrificed myself to save Midna. When we were one soul. During that time, I was alive and I breathed every breath that entered her lungs. I felt every emotion that she had. It was like living a whole new life. After I gave her my life, I felt her bitterness fade away; It was replaced by compassion and understanding.

I could also slightly feel what was inside of her when she left Hyrule. The ache was so great; I struggled to stay on my feet. A couple of days afterwards, I had reoccurring dreams that I told you about when we met earlier today."

"So you felt just about everything she's felt when we were on our journey."

"Yes. Which means that I know about all of the conflicting emotions she has had about you?"

Link's eyes widened.

Zelda took a delicate sip of her wine. "Don't worry, I didn't hear any dialogue. So you still had privacy. I just felt everything that she did."

"Not that we had any intimate conversations anyway."

Link began to flood questions, one after the other. "So you actually have seen through her eyes. How is she? What is she doing? Is she alright? Is everything safe over there?"

"Link, please, slow down! I don't know all of these answers. Everything seems to be well, other than the fact that she misses you dearly."

"That means she really does feel the same way as me. I've never been so happy and frustrated before." Link drank the last of his beer and asked Telma for another order.

"I know this is kind of out of topic, but have you been noticing any that's peculiar?"

Link furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It feels like something bad is going to happen. I feel this feeling that something foul is lurking about."

"Speaking of out of the ordinary, look at this letter I got today." He pulled out the vanilla colored envelope and handed it to the princess.

She studied the words and laid the letter on the counter. "How bizarre! And this is the only sentence?"

"Yes, isn't it strange? I can't figure out why a person would send me something like this."

"Perhaps you should take this to someone who knows the celestial heavens well."

"That is what I was thinking. I may go to Shad and ask him his opinion about this."

"Who is he?"

"A man who is fascinated by the skies and a strange creature called the oocoo. He may have a theory about this."

"It wouldn't hurt to ask."

They heard a small hiccup from below.

"Shai, what on earth are you doing?" Link asked.

Shai managed to get up but fell back down. She hiccupped again and crossed her arms. "Pshhhhh. What are _you_ doing?"

"Are you alright?" Link asked with concern.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you are you making yourself blurry? It's hard to focus with you doing that!" she slurred.

Zelda picked up the little fairy's thimble and sniffed it. "Oh dear, it seems like your companion is a little intoxicated," she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "Shai, do you even know what this drink is?"

"Of course I do! Its bad tasting water but the more I drank it, the better it tasted."

"You drank alcohol instead of water."

"What?! You accuse me of drinking alcohol? How dare you!" she said in between hiccups. Then she jutted out her finger at Link.

"Shai, come on now--" he started to say but then stopped when she fell backwards.

Zelda poked her side and laughed. "She fainted. You must never be bored with her.  
"Nope, I never am. She's really good at taking your mind off things."

"I must go now back. They'll send search parties if I'm absent long enough." she kissed him on the cheek and walked towards the exit. "Listen, Link. I know you're hurt about Midna and you really want to see her again, but don't get your hopes up. The Goddesses may not want you to meet again, and you never knew what her reason for destroying the mirror was. This may be fate for you to never see her again."

He looked straight in her eye. "I know you mean well by what you said, but it is only I who will decide on fate. I make my own destiny." His eyes were as cold as ice as he stared at her.

Zelda nodded and gave him a quick hug. "Good luck Link."

"May the Goddesses watch over you," she whispered as she walked away.

Author's note: For the three girls who were obsessed with Link, some televisions showed the girl with the blue hair actually having purple hair. On my television, it showed bright blue. Whereas others may show a purple color. It's just a head's up. ) I mentioned the happy mask guy! Even though he wasn't in TP. Heh heh.

And I'll try to be better with updating;;


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N: okay.. I am SO sorry I took forever to update. I've been really busy (I know, not really a good excuse for my hiatus) However! I finally made an update, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7

Midna stepped out of her library and strained to listen for any sound. She was hoping that the celebration was over so that she did not have to deal with any more people. Of course she was happy that her people were joyous, however she really was in no mood to be social. The book that she found obliterated her last glimmer of hope. If only she were more careful to make certain to check for a spell on the book. If she had taken the time to do that, she could have even restored the missing page. The book was lost now and she highly doubted there was another existing copy in Twilight.

She carefully walked towards her ball room. She really hoped that all of her guests had left. After all, she did spend a good bit of time in her library. Perhaps her people saw that the guest of honor was not present and left. Midna rolled her eyes. That was highly unlikely. When Twilits partied, their celebrations could last for months at a time. Since today was the anniversary of their freedom _and_ her day of birth, her people would probably celebrate forever.

As she walked closer to the ball room, she started to hear festive music and laughter. She figured that it wouldn't be over yet. Before she could begin to debate whether or not to go down there, Midna realized she had been spotted. Sylvia walked towards her with a crystal goblet.

"Ah there you are Princess. I brought you your favorite wine."

"You know that I rarely drink, Sylvia."

"Yes, but you really do look like you could use a drink, and this is your favorite." Sylvia said.

"Finally you are proving yourself to be useful." Midna smirked. She took a sip and savored the rich flavor. The bittersweet flavor swished in her mouth as Midna smiled with her eyes. "This wine tastes even more exquisite than usual."

"I was hoping you would say that. We found this bottle buried in one of our wine cellars and I have been saving it for this occasion."

"Thank you, however the way I feel right now, I feel as though I need something much stronger to settle my nerves."

Sylvia's face distorted. "I hate to ruin your day even more, but your advisors told me to inform you that they had an important matter to discuss with you."

Midna nearly sputtered the wine she had in her mouth. "Please tell me that you are joking."

Her attendant cringed. She knew that Midna wasn't going to be pleased. "I wish it were a joke, but they insisted."

"This is unbelievable! They are out of their minds if they think they can hold a meeting on a day of celebration like this. Honestly I don't think I will ever have a day off. While I am stuck in a meeting, every Twilit in my entire country is enjoying themselves."

"I'm sorry Midna. I wish I could do more to help you."

Midna smiled and looked at her strangely. "You actually called me Midna."

"I am trying to make you feel more at ease right now," she said with a smile.

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it. It feels nice being treated as a normal being. What time is this meeting going to be held?"

Sylvia glanced up at the glass ceiling. "When the moon passes the second star."

"I hate meetings," Midna huffed.

"Why do you hate them so much?"

"They're just so boring!"

Sylvia laughed. "That's not a good enough excuse."

Midna ran her hand through her hair. "You said the second star right?" Sylvia nodded. "Well that still gives me some time to prepare, I suppose. This meeting had better be important. If not, they will have one infuriated princess."

"Actually, I would love to see you mouthing off those counselors," laughed Sylvia.

Midna cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Just come to my meeting and you will have front row seats. Those people are terribly dry. They have no sense of humor, or even any emotion whatsoever. They do not appreciate my sarcasm."

"Well, not many people like it when they have a sarcastic princess in a serious conference."

"You try sitting three hours at a time in there with a room full of monotonous and dreary people. They absorb all the energy out of you," she harrumphed.

"I think I'll pass."

"You do not know how fortunate you are. We should switch places," Midna said with a wink.

"Oh look, I do believe I hear the chef calling for me. I better see to what he wants."

"My, I get such wonderful support around here," Midna shouted as Sylvia briskly walked away.

Sylvia giggled as she tended to the guests.

If only Midna could do the same as Sylvia and talk to her people. Midna would much rather socialize than go and talk about the issues of Twilight. She didn't even know why they called for a gathering anyway. Her country was safe from any sort of harm. Not one crime had happened since the day Ganondorf was slain. This world was free of Zant. What more could they discuss?

Midna disregarded her thoughts and decided not to care at the moment. She still had some time before the meeting. She might as well enjoy her free moments since she did not know how long she was going to be stuck up in that room. Perhaps she should even go in a bit late just to make them angry. Midna snickered to herself. She loved watching them all riled at her expense.

Midna walked down to the ballroom and was instantly greeted by prestigious Twilits, or so they said they were. They blocked her path and showered her with praises. Midna was completely numb to these compliments because she received so many every day. Only one person would affect her if they complimented her. However, he was in a different realm. Midna huffed. These people were _not_ helping at the moment. She muttered a "please excuse me," and politely pushed them away. The people looked at her oddly and shrugged. One even whispered something but the princess couldn't make it out. She didn't care though.

An announcer's voice echoed in the room as Midna made her way to the door. Everyone grew quiet as they listened to the announcement of new entertainment.

Quite frankly, Midna was sick of all the attention she had been receiving for the past year. She grew tired of all of the servants asking her what they should do and how much they praised such an honorable ruler. The only person that never exhausted her presence was Sylvia. Sylvia was her best friend since childhood. She was the perfect balance to Midna's fiery personality. Even though Sylvia was shy in nature, those two never were caught without each other. They had studied ancient Twili magic behind their advisors' backs. Since Midna had royal blood, her skills sky rocketed to the point that even her teachers were beginning to worry. They soon stopped teaching her and only taught Sylvia. However since Sylvia wanted Midna still to learn magic, she secretly taught everything she knew to Midna.

The Twilight Princess collapsed on the grass and stared off into the beautiful night. She did not care if her dress got dirty or not. The moon seemed to be so alive and the stars twinkled in harmony. The moon casted a glow on Midna that made her skin look luminous. She was deeply buried in all of her memories. She ached to be carefree as she had been when she was with Link. Even though the fate of the world was in their hands, she still did not act like a princess. To not be someone of such a high status was bliss—and more, Link treated her as if she was anyone else. She did admit that she was a bit… cruel when they first met, but her heart quickly changed when she saw how noble he was. Link never complained once on what seemed to be a blind journey that Midna put him through. At first Midna was skeptical of Link. She was certain that he would bite her at least once from the taunting she gave him. He never did. Not even once. He was so different from all the Twilit men!

Rustling in the grass broke her from her memories. She turned her head toward the sound and sat up. Once she saw it was nothing she flopped back on the grass. She raised her hand and created a small energy ball. The glow was almost blinding at first since her eyes were used to the darkness surrounding her. The energy caressed her hand as she manipulated it into various shapes. She smiled as the energy took the form of a running wolf.

"You like wolves I see," a deep voice asked.

Midna shot up to her feet and threw her fists to her side. She looked around and saw no one. Was she just imagining things? Her shoulders relaxed when there was no one around.

"What's wrong, darling? Frightened?" The voice asked.

She shivered as she felt the hot breath on her ear. Immediately she spun around and kicked him in his stomach. He doubled over and skidded back ten feet. Angry red eyes shot up at Midna but cooled instantly. The dark man clutched his stomach with his left hand.

"My, aren't we feisty today?"

"Who are you?" Midna demanded.

"Oh, you don't know who I am? I'm so hurt," he said mockingly.

He vanished into thin air and appeared right in front of Midna's face. Her eyes widened with surprise and she shot energy from her hands. The black electricity didn't faze him as he grabbed Midna's hands with his own, lacing their fingers together. She gasped inside but didn't let any emotion betray her face. That attack should have sent him sprawling in pain, yet he disregarded it as if nothing was cast at him. Now that he was much closer, her eyes widened with realization. He was the spitting image of Link though his eyes were blood red instead of Link's gentle blue. The man had pale skin instead of Link's tan. His clothes were of the color raven and his hair was the color of the darkest ebony.

He touched her forehead with his own and smiled menacingly. "Recognize me, darling? I am your love. Don't you want to kiss me?"

Midna screamed as she threw him back with her mind. He landed gracefully on his feet unharmed.

"You know, wolves are such loyal creatures. They will stick with their family 'til the end. Isn't it interesting that our little 'Hero' was in the form of a wolf? He will not abandon the family he left in his village for you. He was obligated to help you save your world. That was the only reason why he went along with your pathetic plan."

Midna shot an energy beam at him to quiet him but it bounced off of him harmlessly.

"So very impatient. Let me finish. Everything was so perfect for him before you came along. If you hadn't come, Link would have been happy. But instead, he was playing Ring around the Rosy with some pathetic little imp who only cared about getting revenge. He doesn't care about you anymore. He has other things to worry about. In fact, do you honestly think he will never forget about you? He already _has_ forgotten about you. There is a reason why these two worlds cannot exist together.

"But I must thank you. Because of you, I exist. Because of you, I am free from that horrible prison. He kept me in there so long, you know. I could never break free from his mind. But since you pulled him into the twilight realm, I saw a way out. I had to wait patiently there. The longer he stayed in the twilight realm, the larger my escape became. Pretty soon I was able to break free from his mind. Of course since I am a part of Link, I can't completely be free yet. However, I am very real. I am no longer a mere shadow of Link. Although that being said, I kept the benefits from being a shadow. I have powerful magic, so I am able to cross between worlds." He arched an eyebrow over his crimson eye. "Which is how I am here now."

He smiled as he leapt toward Midna unexpectedly sending them both on the grass. His hand glowed as he curled his fingers into a claw and pressed forcefully on her stomach. Midna gasped as his fingers hit her. The sheer force of his weight collided with her body and the pain of his magic was excruciating. She scratched his face with her razor-like fingernails. The man did not flinch at all as he pinned her arms above her head. With his free hand, he stroked her face tenderly. His legs held her legs tightly in place so that she couldn't kick. Blood trickled down his face and a few droplets splashed on her skin. In the moon's light, his blood looked darker than the night. Midna was not a weak woman. She would not be humiliated like this. She reached for her power to end him, but it wasn't there. It was like she had no more magic. Her eyes widened with horror.

"Ah so you realize what I have done. Your magic is gone for the moment, but that's plenty of time for this," he said as he stared wickedly into her eyes. Midna stared back with equal sentiment. He licked the blood off of Midna's skin and then kissed her collarbone. She could feel his tongue trailing down as she fought the urge to scream. Midna squeezed her eyes shut in concentration. Dark Link was cast off of her body. It was his turn to look surprised.

"Yes, I bet you're wondering how I did that since you sealed away my magic. I'll have you know that I don't rely on just magic. Who do you think you are, trying to lay your hands on the Princess of Twilight? I am more powerful than you will ever know!"

Dark Link wheezed as he stood weakly on his feet. A bright blue aura enveloped her fist as she ran toward him. Her fist collided with his face sending him flying back.

"You have a serious punch, Princess," a voice groaned."

Midna blinked. Dark Link's voice was different; different, but familiar. She realized just who she punched and ran over to him.

"Oh my Goddesses, I am so sorry! I had no idea it was you." She offered a hand and the man gladly accepted. He got up and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. He towered over her. Midna had forgotten how tall Zentus really was. He was easily a head and shoulders taller than her.

"I'm so sorry," she paused, "I have no idea what I was thinking."

"Clearly you didn't," he said as he spat blood on the grass. His tongue wiggled around his mouth as his eyebrows furrowed. He brought his hand to his face as he spat out a tooth and raised an eyebrow at her.

Midna face grew hot as she smiled sheepishly. "I thought you were someone else…"

"Well, I am glad I am not who that person is otherwise I would be in some deep trouble."

"Be thankful you aren't," she said as she looked at the blood that he spat. It wasn't a hallucination. Midna still could not feel her magic within her. She couldn't have faked not feeling her magic. She could still feel the kisses on her body from that sickening creature. She was glad he had underestimated her, otherwise who knows what other things he would have had up his sleeves. What got her the most was that he looked like Link. His features were spot on with her beloved hero.

"Princess, are you alright?"

She stared at her fingernails. Dried blood and flesh were still under them. She picked her fingernails clean using her thumbnail. She consciously wiped at the places where Dark Link kissed her. It was still damp. She just couldn't shake the feel of him off of her. Suddenly things grew darker. She glanced at the moon and realized it had vanished. Her body pulsated as she dropped on one knee.

"Princess!" Zentus exclaimed. He picked up Midna by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. He fought back an urge to shout when he saw her eyes were rolled back into her head. He shook her, trying to break her out of her terrifying trance.

"Princess, snap out of it!" He exclaimed as he shook her harder.

Her eyes rolled back into place as she raised her hand to her forehead. Ignoring her pounding head, she grabbed Zentus' arms.

"The moon! Didn't you see it vanish?" she asked alarmingly.

He raised an eyebrow. "The moon? What about it?"

Midna huffed impatiently. "Don't toy with me. It disappeared just a minute ago."

"I am sorry, but I haven't the slightest clue what you are talking about. The moon is right in the sky."

The princess glanced up at the sky and realized he was right.

"Are you feeling alright?"

The tone of his voice agitated her.

"I am _not _mad," she hissed.

He held his hands up. "I didn't accuse you of such."

"Be glad that you didn't," she stated.

Her anger seethed. Just what exactly was going on? First the book in the library, then Dark Link appeared, now the moon was playing tricks on her mind. She wondered if the shattering of the mirror had anything to do with this. Perhaps she made the wrong decision on that fateful day. Regardless, she had to do it for the sake of the world—both worlds. _Light and shadow cannot mix_.

"If you wouldn't mind, could you release me?" A dark, sultry voice asked breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh, yes of course." Her hands barely fit half way around his arms. She could feel his biceps bulging as she slowly released her grip. Arms dropped to her side as she looked away.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what has gotten into me lately. There have been odd things happening in the past few days."

"I understand Princess. No need to apologize. Being a ruler must take a toll on you."

"Yes, it can be incredibly stressful."

"Why don't we sit down?"

Midna gazed at the sky. The moon hadn't passed the second star yet. Cracking a small smile, she started to sit down next to him.

"Oh what was I thinking? How rude of me." He took off his coat and laid it next to him. "A princess shouldn't dirty her dress."

Midna laughed a little. "Really, it's okay. The dress is dirty anyway from me lying on the grass earlier."

"I insist," he said as he smiled handsomely.

Those blue eyes of his were extremely captivating. Now that it was dark, they almost seemed like they glowed. It was hard not to get lost in such deep eyes. A breeze blew making her shiver.

"Cold?" he asked.

"Not at all," she quickly replied. The last thing she wanted to feel was his arm around her. "I thought you left after the dance."

Zentus chuckled. "No, I didn't. I wanted to see the palace's grounds. This place is very beautiful. I have never seen such elaborate landscapes as the ones surrounding your home."

Midna stared into his eyes. They didn't seem as icy as they were when she first looked into them. Now they seemed almost gentle. They were such an odd color for a Twilit. "Thank you. Before my reign took over, this place was a mess. It took countless years to get it the way it is now."

"Well you did a remarkable job."

For some reason, that made her blush. Midna cursed herself for not controlling her feelings. Why couldn't he be like all of the other men who begged for her attention? She brushed all of them off with ease, but for some reason, he was so… captivating. Midna mentally scolded herself. It had to be his eyes. No other Twilit being had blue eyes. The pale color reminded her so much of Link. Although they were nothing like Link's blue eyes, they were still blue nonetheless. If he stared in the right way, those eyes could scare the life out of anyone.

A reflection of herself stared back from Zentus' eyes. There was still a certain hardness in his eyes, yet it was so alluring. She struggled to pull away her glance as she realized what time it was. It was far past the time for her meeting. Muttering a curse under her breath, she got up.

"I apologize, Zentus, but I have to get going."

"As do I, Princess. It was a pleasure talking to you." He brought up her hand to his lips and softly kissed it. The sheer touch of his lips sent goosebumps down her spine. He straightened and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. Midna craned her neck in order to meet his eyes. He was nearly as tall as… well, she didn't want to think of him. A small smile bid him goodbye as she turned around towards her palace.

"I'm always going to watch you," a voice hissed.

Midna spun around. "What did you say?"

Zentus looked surprised. "I didn't say anything, Princess."

She looked at him strangely and apologized. She quickly went on her way.

--

Impatient glares were glued onto her figure as she burst through the door. Black robes glided through the air as she took each step. A loud squeak echoed through the room as she pulled out her chair and scooted up to the table. Midna was dressed in her Twilit royal robes, radiating her glory.

"Princess! Didn't you hear that this meeting was supposed to start when the second star passes the moon?"

Midna cringed at the sound of her advisor's voice. Not because it frightened her, but because his voice was nasally. "Well, hearing how loud you are now, people of the Light would know about the meeting," she snapped. An advisor to her left snickered.

"Do you have something to say out loud, Xandar?"

Immediately he shut his mouth. "No sir, I don't."

"See that it stays that way."

"Calm down, Rientis. You should let him express his emotions freely."

Rientis' face turned purple. "I cannot when this is a serious matter!"

Midna dismissed his anger with a flick of her hand. "You see, this is why I despise attending these meetings. None of you men have an ounce of humor. Except Xandar who braved getting scolded at."

"Princess, you must take things seriously or—"

"Silence!" Rientis shrank back. Midna took a deep breath in order to suppress her anger. "I was not late, nor did I make a flip comment; and Xandar did not laugh. Let's just start from the beginning." She folded her hands and smoothly set them on the table while smiling warmly. "Now, where were we?"

"Princess," Midna smiled at hearing his voice shake. "We are concerned about you ruling Twilight." The statement shocked her, but she did not show any emotion on her face.  
"What makes you say such a thing? I have this realm under peace and tranquility."

He licked his lips. The man obviously did not want to offend Midna. Midna, the Princess of Twilight. "We are all aware of that, but some of the people are worried that the past will happen again."

"They should not have to worry at all. Such a thing will never happen again."

"That's what we thought before Zant took over," Rientis stated flatly. Midna's cheek twitched. She was not expecting to hear that name.

"Zant is dead," she raised an eyebrow, "You saw the reactions of_ my_ people when they heard of his fate. No one will dare stand against me again." The tone of her voice was laced with venom.

"No one dared standing against you in the first place because of your magic. Zant found another source of magic, a more powerful source. What if the same thing happened again?"

"What are you getting at, Rientis." It was more of a statement than a question. Midna picked her nails as she waited for an answer. She wanted to make a point to them that she was bored.

Rientis cleared his throat and pulled on the collar of his advisor coat as his yellow eyes searched the other advisors. He clearly did not want to be the one to tell the news to Midna. When no one else offered to step up, he swallowed involuntarily. She could see a bead of sweat form and fall down his brow. He was nervous. So very nervous—and she loved every minute of it.

Her eyes locked onto him. "I'm waiting," she said. Although the tone of her voice said "Stop wasting my time."

Xandar stood up. Midna drew her attention to him. "May I say something, Princess?"

"You might as well since you interrupted what Rientis was about to say." Even though Rientis despised being disrupted, he looked tremendously relieved. Midna took a note of that. Stating his "opinions" was something that Rientis was rather good at. So why was he so nervous?

"There are… strange things that have been happening lately Princess. I'm not sure if you've noticed it," began Xandar. Midna twirled a strand of her hair and said nothing. Xandar, not knowing whether to continue, asked permission with his eyes.

"Is that all you wish to say? That there are strange things going on?" Midna looked at him with disinterest. She was losing her patience quickly.

"No Princess, I meant to say that… well, we wanted to know if you noticed them too."

"Take a look around us, Xandar. We live in a different realm—a realm that has no light and only shadow. Our cities float in air. Our ways of life are strange."

"That's not what I meant, Your Highness," Xandar meekly said. Of course Midna knew that wasn't what he was talking about. In fact, she knew exactly what he was talking about. She just wanted to be difficult. It served them right for ruining her birth celebration.

She sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Then what type of bizarre things are you talking about?"

A smile formed on his face when he realized she was willing to listen to him. "Well, the skies look darker for one thing—"

"Darker," she interrupted with a flat tone. Other advisors laughed when they heard this.

"People have been complaining of peculiar dreams. Some have even experienced terrible hallucinations," Xandar continued.

"I wouldn't be too concerned about it. I'll look into it if the complaints worsen." She looked at Rientis. "Now don't you think I forgot about you. Disregard whatever hopes you had of Xandar rescuing you by the change of the subject."

Xandar sat back down and twiddled his thumbs.

Rientis looked at her unbreakable gaze. He often scolded Midna to be more serious, yet he hated it when she was. "Well, the people wanted to know when you are planning to be wed." He bit the inside of his cheek after finishing his sentence.

"Oh, is that all?" Midna's face looked calm. Everyone's eyes in the room widened in surprise. They were not expecting that answer at all.

"Well, yes, that's all we wanted to tell you. I'm so glad that you under—"

Midna slammed her fist on the table. Everyone jumped. A large crack from where her fist collided with the table shot out. Cups toppled over and spilled their liquid content. "Do I need to remind you what happened when this was first suggested!" Her shouts echoed in the room. Servants outside of the meeting room muttered amongst themselves, wondering what was going on in there.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I am not suited to rule Twilight?" Her eyes danced with fire. "The last man you suggested for me to wed tried to _take over the world_! He was a mad man! Now here you all are again, trying to propose this preposterous idea once more. He turned every single one of you into horrendous creatures! He manipulated every single one of us. Not only that, he left enough awareness in your minds to let you see yourself doing his every bidding to make everyone suffer even more. You couldn't stop yourselves from doing such horrible things even though it was your own body. He turned me into a hideous little imp, desperate to seek help from the Light world."

"Zant had no remorse of what he did to people of Twilight. This man who was so 'honorable' and so 'trustworthy' nearly killed us all. Not only did we suffer for it, the people of the Light suffered also. It is because of people like Zant that we were banished to this realm in the first place!

"I remember the look on my people's faces when I traveled back into this realm with that Light creature, Link. Even though we both partially restored everyone, it broke my heart to see my people in such a state of delirium. Only when Ganondorf was killed, our curse was finally lifted. I never _ever _want my people to go through that again."

No one said anything. They were too stunned by her reaction. Everyone knew how smitten she was when Zant lived in the palace. He was so dashing and kind to everyone in the palace. At first, Midna was skeptical of her advisors trying to arrange a marriage, but gave in when she saw him. Even though he had no royal blood, he was chosen from the top suitors for his intelligence, his power, and for the love of his kingdom. Some love indeed.

When he presented a moon ring to her, she was the happiest woman alive. Presenting a moon ring was similar to a proposal, but not exactly the same. All females with moon rings let all males know that they were soon to be engaged. Everyone celebrated the great news. Twilit women watched in envy of the new happy couple. Afterwards she had retired to her room and went to her balcony. She could still remember everything—his touch, his warmth, his kiss.

_She heard his footsteps and felt his warm body embrace her. Soft kisses trailed on her neck as she closed her eyes. Her hand reached to touch the arms surrounding her body. She was the luckiest woman in the world. _

"_Zant," she breathed, "you know that you aren't allowed in my room."_

"_I know, love, but I just couldn't help myself. Not seeing you this night would make my heart burst," he whispered in her ear._

"_Well, I suppose it won't harm tonight," she smiled._

_Lust clouded his eyes as he kissed her on the lips. She straightened to face him as he pushed her body against the railing for support. They shared a long, passionate kiss when he broke it off. _

_Midna looked confused. "What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, it's just, I have so much hope now."_

_"Hope?" She let out a laugh. "You're thinking about hope when you're about to be engaged with me?" _

_Zant smiled darkly as he kissed her neck. "You don't understand, Princess. With you by my side, I have much hope that we can rule the world."_

_Midna frowned as she pushed him away. "What are you talking about?" _

_"Don't you see? With our power, we can rule over the world. We will be the most feared names in history."_

_"I can't believe you. I thought you loved me." Her eyes grew wet._

"_I do love you! That's why I'm telling you this, so that we can rule together._

"_Your lust of power is disgraceful. I never want to hear of this again." She turned around and walked away from him. _

_Zant grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him._

_Midna threw him against the wall with her magic. "Don't you dare touch me. Get out of my room now, and no one will know of this."_

"_Midna, you don't understand…"_

"_I will never marry a traitor." She took off her moon ring and dropped it on the floor. With a swift stomp of her foot, it shattered in pieces. "Consider us through. Now, get out."_

After that day, Zant wouldn't stop bothering her, trying to convince her that his plan was flawless. She ordered him to be banished that day from the palace after his never-ending pleas. It was that day that he found a new power from his 'god.' It was that day he turned her into an imp.

"Princess," an advisor spoke up breaking her from her memories.

"What is it," she whispered.

"We are asking you to wed because we don't want something like that to happen again."

"You aren't making any sense. The last man who wanted to marry me tried to take over the world. Now you are telling me you want me to wed so that won't happen again? I don't think so."

"No, if you are married to a proper husband, one who genuinely cares for this kingdom, no one will try to overpower you again."

"What's to stop another person to kill me and my husband next time?"

"A queen of Twilight is even more powerful than a Princess. No one will dare try to take over. With a husband by your side, you will be unstoppable."

Midna clenched her teeth. She knew she hated meetings. Now she finally had an excuse to hate them.

A/N: yes, I know dark link is a "shadow" or whatnot, but I thought it would be more interesting if I made him real since I think he's such a cool character. I was kind of disappointed that Twilight Princess did not give him a larger role. Well, that's what fanfiction is for anyway, eh? Hope everyone enjoyed my story and thank you to the people who support me. Please R & R. It means so much to me!


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: I am alive everyone! Okay, so I know *a lot* of you people want to strangle me for making you wait this long. College seriously drains every second of my spare time! I hope a lot of you didn't give up, because I swear I am going to finish this story. It's going to become extremely intense when the action builds up. R&R is always welcome. Thank you to all of those who reviewed my last chapter. I do not own Twilight Princess. oh yeah, sorry if you keep on getting email updates for the same chapter. For some reason, fanfiction didnt upload the document properly, so.. yeah. =/

Chapter 8

A loud crack echoed in the air. White flashes illuminated the surroundings. A lone girl crouched underneath a tattered tarp hugged her knees. It seemed to rain whenever she felt gloomy. She was alone. No one in the world cared who or what she was. Scars decorated her flesh. Smudges streaked across her pale white skin. She was sopping wet, but it didn't bother her. Although she wasn't wearing very much, she made the best of what she had. Scraps of dirty cloth covered her chest. She had made a long piece of cloth into a short sarong. Another piece had been formed into a hood.

Her once soft eyes were now as hard as steel. Only her left eye was visible. It was the color of the purest amber. The other was hidden beneath bandages. Hair that was once scarlet as blood was now replaced by a dingy matted mess. That was okay though. Every time people saw her red hair, they pointed and whispered. Dark red hair was a very uncommon color amongst the world of Hyrule. She hid her hair in tattered hood so that she wouldn't attract more attention than she already did.

The rain would die out soon. At least she hoped it would. There were never any venders out when it rained. No venders meant no food. At least she had plenty of water, but that wouldn't satisfy her stomach. She hit her stomach as it growled, wanting it to be quiet.

Seeing that the tarp did little to protect her from the rain, she got up on her feet and walked out from underneath it. Like somehow knowing she was vulnerable, the rain came down harder. The girl muttered a curse under her breath. Her teeth were chattering now. Her skin turned a light bluish purple color from being drenched by the icy liquid. The bandages that wrapped around her right eye were beginning to fall apart. Again she cursed. Her feet were beginning to numb from walking around the wet streets. Her stomach growled again, but this time she ignored it. She smelled something warm. Her eyebrow twitched as she ran towards the smell. This night she would not go hungry.

There it was… food displayed on a table just begging for her to steal it. She could see it from afar. The window itself was cracked a little and had no bars covering it—such foolish people. The owners from the house probably thought the window was too high for anyone to get into. It was at least eight feet high. The girl jumped up to the window. Her left fingers gripped the rough stone as she opened the window all the way. The warm air felt wonderful on her face after being in the rain so long. Her feet slipped causing her to break away from her temporary excitement. She let go as she landed gracefully on her feet.

Tightening her bandage around her eye, she readied herself. With a sudden burst of power, she leapt and landed on the balls of her feet on the window ledge, balancing herself with her fingertips. She went in and eyed the food. There was a banquet enough to feed at least ten people easily. Surely the owner wouldn't miss a few loaves of bread. Water dripped all over the floor but she didn't care. She let down her hood and shook her hair free. Grasping her long locks, she tried to wring out as much water as she could. Red strands of hair stuck to her hands. She shook her hand to get rid of them. Quickly she began stuffing loaves and sausages in her bag. She stuffed a roll in her mouth as she walked to the other side of the table.

"What in Din's name?" A man's voice asked.

The girl looked at the man and smiled. She ripped off a turkey leg and dove for the window. She somersaulted when she hit the ground.

"Stop! Thief!" he yelled out the window. The girl flashed a smile back and quickly ran away.

When she was a good distance away from the house she had stolen from, she found herself a corner sheltered by a roof. She sat down and opened her bag. The food was wet, but still warm. Her teeth tore at the food, not even savoring the flavor. Once she was partially full, she slowed down, enjoying each bite.

A small dog walked cautiously toward her and whimpered. The poor thing was starving too. She tore off a piece of sausage and tossed it at the dog. Before it could eat it, it was knocked down by a much larger dog. The girl quickly got up on her feet and got into a defensive stance. The dog that attacked the other one was almost as big as she was. It flared its teeth and growled loudly, wanting more food. Not intimidated, she stepped forward. The dog jumped at her gnashing his teeth. Her back scraped against the rough street as she was knocked to the ground. The dog snapped at her face, but she quickly punched it under his jaw. That stunned him long enough for her to push the dog off. He shook his head and growled fiercely. She ran her tongue across the front of her teeth, waiting for the animal to attack. The dog took a running leap at her but she kicked him in the chest and sent him flying. He whimpered and ran away with his tail between his legs.

She pulled her hood down and plopped on the ground. That fight had used up the little energy she had had left in her. The little dog came out from hiding and walked towards her. She took some more sausage out and fed him. He wagged his tail and let her pet him as he devoured the meat. His little tongue licked at her hand as his eyes seemed to plead for more. She rolled hers as she took out a few rolls of bread for her new friend.

After eating the bread, it began to lick at her side. The girl thought it was a strange place for a dog to lick and pushed him away. Realization took place when she looked down. A long gash dripped blood. The pain was hardly noticeable to her. She ripped off the edge of her sarong and wrapped it tightly against the wound. Blood was going to soak through the already wet cloth, but that was all she had. Ignoring the wound, she finally drifted to sleep.

The next morning she awoke with a kick to her side.

"Get out of the street, you filthy scum," a guard rudely shouted.

The girl squinted her eyes with menace as she spat on his feet. Before he could do anything about her bold behavior, she was quickly off. People like that disgusted her. No one showed compassion anymore. No one looked her way. No one cared. That guard had kicked her where the dog had bitten her yesterday. Dried blood stuck to her skin when she opened her bandages. It was already starting to become infected. She needed to clean the wound as soon as possible, but where could she? She had no soap to begin with and there was no place to bathe. There was a fountain in the middle of the town, but once when she had tried to wash her hands, palace guards had come and chased her away.

The only people who treated her with any sort of decency were the children. They were nice enough to give her a crust of bread or a few rupees. She never once asked them for help. They just went up to her, smiled, and handed her random possessions of their own. She smiled back of course, but never said a word of thanks. The parents would often grab their children and throw a dirty glare her way, harshly scolding their children to never talk to strangers. Not that she talked anyway. She hadn't uttered a word to a human in years.

She was alone in this world; always had been. She couldn't even remember her own name. However, she had settled on a name for herself—Sohla. It was derived from the word "isohlato" in her native tongue, or "isolated" in Hylian. Sohla didn't mind being alone that much anymore. In fact, she enjoyed it quite often. It would be pleasant if she had someone to talk to, but the people of Hyrule were cruel towards thieves. What did it matter? It wasn't like she knew anyone anyway.

A twinge of pain shot up her side. Sohla decided it would be too difficult to steal some ointment from the local infirmary. It was much too risky considering the town doctor would eye her every movement. Ointment for pain was not really necessary though—she could deal with the pain easily. It was just the infection she had to worry about.

Sohla started walking towards the town's exit. She wouldn't be able to find the things she needed here. Well unless, of course, she wanted to pay an outrageous price for it. She knew a very effective remedy for wounds. It was just a hassle to gather all the ingredients. Hyrule was still an unfamiliar area to her.

As she headed out, she casually grabbed a black cloak hanging off of a tailor's cart. The man was too busy in an argument with a complaining costumer to notice his fine cloak was now gone. Sohla smiled as she licked from her wrist to the point of her index finger. The cloak flung around her shoulders and snapped on the latch to close it. The rain stopped as the sun began to peek out of the clouds. Today was starting to look good.

---

There was silence between the two of them. All that was heard was the clip-clop of Epona's hooves on the cobble stone.

"Hero, where are we going now?" No response. "Er, did you hear me Hero?"

"Yes, I heard you Shai. I'm just trying to figure out what to do next," Link responded.

"Didn't you say you wanted to talk to a person named Shad?"

"Yes, but the question is, where would he be? I haven't seen him in a long while and he tends to wander a lot. We've been at it for weeks. No one has seen him in over a month."

Shai fluttered to Link's shoulder. She raised her hand over her eyes and squinted. "Well, at least it finally stopped raining! We'll find him in no time!"

The little fairy was right about the rain. It had finally stopped. Dark clouds and gray skies seemed to vanish like they were being erased from the sky. The countless days of rain made it seem like someone was crying from the heavens. Now a bright sun replaced the gray skies. Light breezes swayed the trees lazily and birds twittered at each other. It was a pleasant welcome after the gloomy rain. It was still a bit humid from the rain, but it smelled wonderful. Fragrant scents of trees, grass, and flowers filled his lungs. Shai took a deep breath too.

"Ah! Isn't that wonderful? I love the smell after the rain."  
Link smiled. He pulled the reins gently to stop his horse. Epona whinnied and shook her head. Shai didn't smile back. There was something off about Link's behavior today, but Shai knew not to press him.

"Let's take a break shall we?" Link suggested. He unloaded his pack from his rusty colored mare.

Shai fluttered to the soft grass and plopped down. Link looked even more gigantic from this angle. Epona happily chewed on the sweet grass and flowers. Nearby was a tree that provided welcoming shade. The lone tree in the middle of the field reminded him too much of his most realistic nightmare. Sitting on the grass, Epona grazing from afar, it almost felt like déjà vu. Almost.

Their journey seemed hopeless. It seemed as though every time they found a clue, it would get shut off. The great goddess Farore herself warned them not to take this journey; even the Princess of Destiny wordlessly disapproved. They had no support from anyone else. She was beginning to wonder if this trip was really worth his trouble after all. She didn't complain about the journey though. It was far more exciting than the spring that she used to dwell in.

Link's haunting visions seemed to be bothering him more and more. In the middle of the night, Shai was kept awake just listening to Link's muttering and trembling. Sometimes it got so bad that he would wake up screaming. The first time that happened, he nearly scared her little wings right off of her. Other times it was so bad that he would suffer from insomnia and not sleep for days. Shai felt helpless watching him at night.

The nightmares had intensified after the encounter with that dark shadow, the one who claimed to be Link's dark side. It all seemed surprising to her. She often wondered what types of difficulties he lived through. The hero never showed a single sign of weakness. The only time his heroic exterior shattered was in his dreams. There was no mention of his nightmares either. Every time she would ask him about it, he would just smile and tell her not to worry about it— that it was not a big deal. It was though. Keeping all those emotions bottled in would one day destroy him. However, Link thought differently.

Ever since Midna left, that was all that he did—just bottle everything in. He shut himself off from the world. He had a bright future ready for him. Being such a prestigious attribute to his town of Ordon, he was expected to be next in line for Mayor. Instead of socializing like he once used to, he began to work dutifully. A smile was once a pleasant and frequent occurrence upon his handsome face. Now he rarely smiled. He would talk to the animals more than he did the people. Even Colin strayed away from him after a while. It mattered none to Link. The only person he wanted to talk to was gone forever. This stupid journey was nothing but a futile attempt to twist fate. No, how could he even think that? Link mentally kicked himself for thinking such a thing.

"Um… Hero?" Shai said, interrupting his mental scolding. "I think we may have a problem." As soon as she said that, an arrow whizzed towards him. Link rolled out of the way quickly. Although he managed to avoid vital damage, the arrow nicked him in the right shoulder. The pain wasn't too bad so he ignored it.

On the horizon, there was a lone Bokoblin. It was odd because they usually traveled in small groups since they were weak foes. Not only was he alone, but he was more muscular than the other bokoblins. Link didn't have the Master Sword, just his old Ordon sword. It was good enough for this particular enemy.

Shai zipped over to Link and hid in his hat for safety. The Bokoblin was too far away and had a quiver. He couldn't just run over there out in the open. Normally he would, but that arrow was too precise. This bokoblin was different. More arrows shot at him and he hid behind the tree he had rested against earlier. Shai flew to the branches and peered out to see the enemy better.

"He looks like he's just waiting for you," she called out.

Link frowned. Why in the name of the goddesses was there a bokoblin in the first place? Every evil creature had vanished after Ganondorf was slain. Something strange was going on. Link's patience was running out.

As he hid behind the tree, he peeked out to survey his surroundings.

"Shai, make sure you stay hidden. I don't want you to get hurt."

She nodded once and decided not to protest. It was not like she could do anything to stop him. Link saw the lone creature just standing there; it was waiting for him. Suddenly three loud simultaneous thuds interrupted the silence. The tips of the arrows protruded through the tree's trunk, each one deeper than the other. Link almost fell backwards in surprise. He hadn't even heard the arrows whiz through the air.

The sound of steel rang through the air as he drew his sword. There was no choice – he was going to have to charge at him. Leaving him there would just risk other innocent lives. He was still hesitant. His blade hadn't tasted flesh in a long while. Not only that, killing was not a favorite task to do even if it was an evil creature.

Link ran from his hiding spot and charged straight toward the creature. Arrows flew at him like rain, but he dodged them effortlessly. Power surged with each running step he took. As he grew closer, he raised his blade in order to strike. However, the bokoblin sprung back so oddly that Link briefly paused. That was a mistake. It took an advantage of Link's hesitation and landed an arrow in his left shoulder. Link bit his tongue until he tasted blood in order not to cry out in pain. Blistering rage boiled inside of him. Caution was now something he disregarded. His wavering hesitation was not the mistake anymore. The true mistake was when that monster shot him for the second time. Without flinching, he ripped out the arrow from his shoulder. Torn muscle came out with the barbed point.

With his newly awakened anger, Link ran up to the creature with incredible speed. With both hands on his sword, he used his full body weight to deliver the blow. It arced horizontally and slashed through the bokoblin's stomach. It yowled and fell backwards, clutching at its stomach. Air blew out of its nostrils as it exhaled. A menacing glare bore through the hero with the sword.

As it got up, it took out a fearsome club with spikes projecting out. There were still fresh blood stains on the weapon showing that the monster was back from a recent kill. This enraged Link even more. The bokoblin swung clumsily at him due to its wound, allowing Link to easily dodge the blow. The beast stumbled due to its heavy mace. Link saw this and quickly calculated that the bulky weapon threw his enemy off balance. Fury still raged within Link; the lust for blood was too great. The creature tried to hit him again, but Link side-stepped out of the way and followed up with another slash. A loud shriek pierced the air. Its arm was dismembered from just below the elbow. Blood splattered everywhere, dotting Link's clothes and skin. Bone splintered and broke as the arm fell to the ground.

The scream was not a scream of a monster. It was the scream of a man. The "monster" was just a large built man clad in the skin of a bokoblin. It all made sense now. No wonder it was just traveling alone and seemed unusual from its kind. That just left one question. Why was a man in disguise of a bokoblin in the first place?

Regardless, Link was too preoccupied to think rationally. The adrenaline of the fight pumped through his veins. His flesh reacted with the taste of blood. It had never felt so exhilarating before in his life. A primal instinct awakened inside of him. It was like he needed more blood. He craved more of the taste, the feel, the excitement. Killing never looked so appealing.

His pupils dialated as he gripped the sword's hilt tighter. The man was sprawled out on the grass weeping in pain. Blood drenched the grass from where he laid. There was a shocking amount of it. The sight of all the gore completely released the force contained inside of him. Shuddering in pleasure, Link ran his tongue slowly over his lips as his eyes rolled back in his head. The salty, metallic scent in the air tantalized him as he breathed in deeply. When he saw his attacker's manaical behavior, the man tore off his mask showing his true face.

"Please! Show mercy!" Fear overtook the man's eyes. He gripped at the gore spilling from his wound.

"Draw your weapon and fight, you wretched piece of filth," Link demanded. His deep voice was laced with darkness and a hunger to kill. He waited for the man to draw out his mace, but nothing happened. "No weapon? Fine. Then this will end quicker than I thought, with much to my displeasure," he added. "I do hate being unhappy," he murmured gently.

"No, please, have mercy on me! I didn't mean any harm! Take my money, anything you want!" he trembled.

A corner of Link's mouth raised a little. "Anything I want?" He said with a chuckle. His arm relaxed as he turned away from the man. "I would like to have your blood," Link stated calmly.

The man's eyes bulged out as Link jumped at him to plunge his sword into his neck. All of sudden, a figure appeared out of nowhere and collided into Link sending him skidding across the ground. The man saw his chance and tried to escape. Link's head smacked against a rock and rendered him unconscious.

---

When Link opened his eyes, the sun was nearly setting. A powerful shock of pain exploded from his head. It felt like someone was smashing his head repeatedly with a stone. It was nearly unbearable. Link groaned and gripped at his forehead. He realized that his head was bandaged. In a bewildered state, Link look around at his surroundings. It was a different place than where he was before. Then he realized he was shirtless. There were more bandages on his shoulders. Pain shot down from his shoulders to his arms as he tried to get up. It was too great for him to get up on his own. Surely Shai wasn't capable of undressing him, let alone bandaging him. His left shoulder hurt the most. Realizing that he could do nothing in his condition, Link looked around more carefully. He noticed a fire crackled near him and his sword lying next to him dried with blood. He laid his head back down and looked up at the tree's branches above him. There was a familiar pink orb resting above.

"Shai," he tried calling out, but it came out to no more than a hoarse whisper. He cleared his voice and tested it again. It was still raspy, but it managed to get her attention. She floated slowly towards him and landed on his chest. It was difficult seeing her at that angle so he drew back his leg so she could sit on his knee. There was a somber expression on her face. She was not her cheerful, bubbly self. Link could sense right away that something was unusual.

"What happened?" Link asked. Asking that question was something he didn't want to do, but he was curious on how he got to where he was.

"You were out for about five hours."

Link grunted in response. "But what happened? I can't seem to remember." Oddly enough, Link was telling the truth. It all was surreal to him. He couldn't even recall how he had been knocked unconscious. Link thought he almost saw anger flash on her face.

"You mean you don't remember?" Shai asked with disbelief. Link shook his head, but winced when that made the pounding worse. "What is the last thing you can remember?" The way she asked him sounded like an interrogation.

Link wanted to ask what was going on again, but decided not to. "All I remember was that I got shot by a second arrow. I became… unbearably angry. It felt like I was holding back some type of beast within me. The rest is fuzzy after that."

Shai stared at him for a long while. "That's all you really remember?"

Link nodded. It was the dead truth. The little fairy exhaled deeply. She explained what happened to him in great detail, continuing where he left off. Link looked at her in horror. He thought his ears were deceiving him, but the blood stained on his sword was proof enough. There were even bits of bone shards dried onto the blade. Link gave a questioning look to Shai and she just shrugged.

"We thought it would be best if you cleaned your sword yourself. The blood is on your hands, not ours."

Wait a minute, did he hear her correctly? What did she mean by "we"? Link cleared his throat. "'We'"? He asked.

"I've never seen you like that before," she declared softly. "It was like you were a totally different person. I didn't even recognize you. I know I haven't known you for the longest time, and I know I've never seen you fight before, but…" she trailed off. Shai wasn't sure if she could finish. Link urged her to go on with what she was saying.

"That wasn't you out there, Link. For the first time, I was truly frightened by you. There was such rage in your eyes. You were clouded with such darkness."

His eyes widened when he heard her call him by his name. She never did that. He didn't know what hurt him more – hearing what he had done, or Shai calling him by his name. Had she lost all of her respect for him as a hero?

"Shai," he sighed while he held out his hand to bring her closer. When she did not hop on, he lowered his hand back down. "Whatever that was back there, it wasn't me. I swear to the goddesses."

A sad smile appeared on her face as her eyes brimmed with tears. Even though she had been upset earlier, she could tell that he was telling the truth. "I believe you," she paused, "Hero."

Link touched her face tenderly with his index finger. With a quick flicker of her wings, she flew up to his neck and hugged him tightly.

Relief washed over him. The last thing on earth that he wanted was his little companion to leave him. The only person that he cared for and loved had left him abruptly. He surely did not need that again. He had a tender spot in his heart for the fairy, and he felt as though she was the only person that was capable of understanding what he was going through.

Thinking back to the fight earlier in the day, he tried to remember what exactly had happened. After a long unsuccessful attempt of trying to recollect his thoughts, he refocused himself back onto the pink fairy. She was sitting on his stomach, twiddling her thumbs. "Shai?"

Her attention broke and she looked at Link.

"You never did tell me what you meant when you said 'we'", he inquired.

Little eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh, I forgot about her."  
Link was incredulous. A her? Did Ilia somehow manage to find them? He wasn't friends with many other women besides Ilia and Zelda, although Zelda had too much of a high status to be considered as a friend.

"When you were fighting that man, I saw a girl rummaging through your pack. I think she was trying to steal some of our supplies. Anyways, I flew down and frantically tried to get her attention so she could help the guy you were attacking. I suppose she understood me and saw what was happening. Just before you were going to… end that man's life, she tackled you. Your head hit a rock and you were knocked unconscious.

When she tried to help the other man, he wouldn't let her come near her. He was still scared stiff and refused any help. I even tried to reason with him, but all he wanted was for us to leave him alone. After that, she managed to control your horse and we got you to a safe place and cleaned your wounds.

Hearing all of this left Link speechless, but he managed to find his voice. "Where is she now?"

"I'm not sure; I think she went to go get something."  
"And her name?"

Shai only shrugged. "She didn't say. In fact, she hasn't said a word at all. I think she understands Hylian, but she didn't answer anything when I talked to her. Maybe she will respond if you try."  
"Perhaps she's mute," he said as he tried to get up. Again, the pain felt intolerable so he was forced to lie back down.

The sun had finally set and the stars had started to come out. Each one winked as if greeting him. Another cool breeze blew from the north and sent shivers down Link's spine when it touched his exposed skin. Shai saw him shiver and flew to get him a blanket.

"Thanks," Link mumbled as he carefully pulled it up to cover himself.

A rustle in the grass made them both turn their heads toward the sound. They saw a figure step out of the shadows carrying a homemade spear with three fish and a collection of different plants. Link politely greeted her, but she didn't even acknowledge him; either that or she just blatantly ignored him. Shai and Link shared a glance. They watched her as she set up a pole in order to cook the fish. They were already scaled, gutted, and cleaned. She pawed through her ratted bag until she pulled out a loaf of bread and set it aside on a large leaf. Even though her appearance was filthy, she appeared to be much more than a mere beggar. Her body was skimpily covered with tattered rags, as was her right eye. He wondered what she was hiding behind her bandages. Perhaps an embarrassing scar or maybe the eye was blind. Her hair was matted and stringy, as if she hadn't washed it in months. Link still could make out the deep red color of her long locks which was a very unusual color in Hyrule. The only person who had a remotely close shade of that red was Telma, and she had admitted that it was not her natural hair color.

Since Link had begun his journey, he was encountering more people than he imagined. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just after a year of hardly socializing with anyone, conversation was stiff and associating with people felt awkward. It was especially uncomfortable when the people he talked to always managed to remind him of the past. Those memories were something he did not want to relive, so he often excused himself and went back home.

With rested assurance, Link felt like he did not have to worry about this mysterious girl trying to bring up his past. It was apparent that she was just as isolated from the world as he was now, most likely even more. Her hair probably stood out the most to people and the way she presented herself was a close second. Link watched her movements with caution. She looked like she was nice enough; after all, she was taking care of him. Even in his vulnerable condition, he felt that she kept her distance. Not a word yet came out of her mouth.

Air crackled and sizzled from the cooking fish. The delicious smell of the fish distracted him. He hadn't realized how famished he was. Shai followed the girl's movements as she rotated the pole in order to cook the fish evenly. The fairy perked up when their guest started searching through Link's pack, but he assured her that it was okay. When the girl was satisfied with what she gathered from the pack, she took a water skin and left.

Link looked up to where the moon was. Oddly enough, the moon wasn't there. He was certain that the moon's disappearing phase wasn't until a few more days.

"Shai, wasn't there a moon last night?"

"Hmm," Shai puckered her lips and tapped them with a finger. "I really don't remember. I didn't pay much attention to the sky last night."

Just when he was about to reply, their mysterious companion was back. She plopped the water skin right next to him and kneeled down. Link's body tensed as she laid her hands on the shoulder where he got knicked by the arrow and on his head. For a person who did not bathe regularly, surprisingly, she did not smell unbearable. The scent on her body smelled like earth more than anything. It was as if she let the rain wash her. When she noticed goose bumps prickle on his skin, she carefully brought him closer to the fire. She felt his minor arrow wound; her other hand touched the deeper gash. The girl crinkled her nose as if she encountered something unexpected.

The hero met her eye. It was the purest color of amber. The lighter gold flecks that speckled around her pupil only enhanced the deep golden shade. Despite the soft warm color, there was a sharp contrast within them. Her glare was hard as stone. An impenetrable, intimidating, warning glower yet somehow gave off a timeless look. The expression in her eyes changed. Link thought she almost looked apologetic.

Carefully undoing the knot, she unraveled the soiled bandages. He looked over to see what the damage was. His right shoulder didn't look so bad, but his other shoulder looked gruesome. Blood still oozed out of the open slash. After wiping each wound down, she quickly brought the mountain of plants she had gathered earlier as well as a smooth stone and a small bowl. When she smelled each one, she selected a few and began to grind them in the bowl. As soon as it was ground into a fine powder, she added water and mixed the remedy with a stick.

Scooping the paste with her fingers, she applied the thick, dark green substance on his head and right shoulder. Almost instantly, he felt no pain due to its immediate numbing effect. He expected her to do the same with his other shoulder, but she did not. There was another bowl prepared. Once again, she inhaled the scent of each plant very carefully. When she was satisfied, she started to prepare a concoction. In the meanwhile, the fish was finished cooking and was brought over. Since his shoulder no longer hurt, Link was able to eat with relative ease.

During the middle of the meal, the girl handed him a cup filled with a dark liquid. She motioned him to drink it. Link looked at it with uncertainness. The wavering scent filled his lungs. Link gagged silently. It smelled absolutely repulsive. The girl waited for him to drink it. He took a small sip and his face contorted with displeasure as the bitter taste washed down his throat. She pointed at the cup and then felt his forehead with the back of her hand.

_Ah_, Link thought to himself. This vile drink was supposed to break the fever that he had. With a smile, he thanked her. Holding his breath, he downed the whole thing. This girl seemed too nice. Why was she doing all of this? He set down his leaf plate after he finished his dinner. Shai was sleeping comfortably on his stomach. Soon their guest finished preparing her medicine. It wasn't a paste like the one she made before; it was a black liquid.

She unraveled the bandages around his other shoulder and gently removed Shai off his stomach so her sleep would not be disturbed. The girl paused before applying the medicine. A firm, hard gaze looked into his eyes as she squeezed his hand tightly—as if it was for reassurance.

When the fluid touched his skin, it was a scalding pain. Strangely enough, the medicine did not run all over. It penetrated the wound and was absorbed like a dry sponge soaking up water. Agony washed through his body in a turbulent motion. The burning sensation was torturous, yet at the same time, he welcomed it. His body jolted repeatedly as more of the bizarre antidote made contact. The experience was unlike any other; it was as if it pierced through the depth of his soul. Images of his previous fight flashed through his mind. He was the audience, watching.

Link could not believe how inhuman he was to that man. The sheer power he possessed during that battle was unreal. Now he understood why Shai was so upset earlier. The medicine did something to his spirit, but he didn't know what. He couldn't think. All he could manage to do was concentrate on the blissful suffering that he was experiencing that moment. Battling emotions swirled inside of him. Dark images of himself flickered before him until he let sleep take him for the night.

A/N: So some of you are probably thinking that Link's fight was really OOC right? Well, if its still confusing, please think back to what happened to him in a previous chapter that would make him do such a thing. Also, what do you guys think of my newest character? Thank you all for reading!


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